


Collide

by Shadowfax (bagheerita)



Category: Valdemar Series - Mercedes Lackey
Genre: F/M, M/M, Time Travel, character focused, i'm not really sure how to tag for an in-universe crossover/fusion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-31
Updated: 2019-08-31
Packaged: 2020-09-28 23:24:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 39,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20434205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bagheerita/pseuds/Shadowfax
Summary: When White Gryphon is threatened by a new evil, a vision reveals that the answer lies in a history not yet written, and a trio of mages with powers not yet defined.





	1. Future Tense

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted at Fanfiction.net between 6/28/2005 - 10/28/2016. This version has undergone minor editing for grammar and formatting. 
> 
> By the nature of crossover works, this story contains **spoilers** for every book the characters here have been in, which include the following trilogies: The Mage Wars, Last Herald-Mage, The Mage Winds, The Mage-Storms, and Darian's Tale (Owl trilogy). While this story will be infinitely more enjoyable if you are passingly familiar with those books, I feel the only really important spoilers are for Storm Breaking, Winds of Fury, and possibly Owlsight.  
While it is not canon, this story also draws from my previous story "The Man in the Wind and the West Moon," which details the initial meeting between Moondance and Starwind; I have included some of those details, which are not made clear in canon, in this story.

The day was calm and bright. Gryphons wheeled in the sky above the glistening city nestled into the side of the cliff. The sounds of the denizens of White Gryphon going about the business of the day drifted up toward Amberdrake as he looked down over the city from the staircase landing where he stood. The clear sky reflected in exact opposition to his mood.

He supposed that, with the way things had been going of late, it was the day and not his mood that was out of place. Still, it was nice that even in the middle of the chaos that had descended upon the city, life could continue- could have moments without tension and fear. _Goddess, but there’s been few enough bright moments lately..._

And, today, they were about to see whether there would ever be bright moments again. Snowstar was ready; the other three mages were prepared. There would be no more waiting.

The _kestra’chern_ sighed. Truth be told, he was probably the most apprehensive of the group, but keeping up brave fronts was something that was his job; and despite the fact that quieting his rambling thoughts was proving a struggle today, it was also something he had become extraordinarily good at in his life.

As Drake ascended the steps to the chamber where they were going to perform the ritual he breathed deeply and paused to organize his mind before he pushed open the door and went inside. Snowstar looked up briefly but returned his concentration to what he was doing; the mage was outwardly as composed as he always appeared, but an empath could easily read that his intense concentration masked a deep uneasiness. Skandranon came to stand beside his friend, and as Amberdrake placed a hand on the gryphon’s shoulder he felt the muscles under his hand hard and tense with anxiety.

"We're almost ready," Skan said, and Drake had to bite his tongue to keep nervous laughter at bay. For all that the waiting had been excruciating, now that the day was here he wasn't certain that he would ever truly be _ready_.

"I'm glad someone is," he muttered instead. The look Skan shot him was not amused.

_:I am ready Papa Skan!:_ Kechara came bounding over to where the pair stood.

"Good girl Kechara." Skan grinned at her, a smile reserved for her even in the middle of his trepidation. "Wait for Snowstar, then listen to what he says, alright?" She grinned back and romped over to come to a straight halt a few feet in front of Snowstar. Her tail twitched as she raptly fixed her attention on him, waiting for his signal.

Drake glanced around the room; people milled about, but soon they would be asked to leave. Except for the three mages who stood in a loose circle around Snowstar- mages with a particular gift in the area of foresight; mages who’d had visions… They were the ones who had first known of the threat- the ones who had proposed a solution before the threat became evident to everyone else. These three mages had been frightened almost out of their minds by what they had seen; until other reports had supplemented theirs, and people had started to take their warnings seriously, they had been frantic in their attempts to get the Council to listen to them.

Snowstar raised his head and nodded to Kechara. He must have given her more instructions via mindspeech because she scampered to the center of the floor and turned to look at him for approval. The three mages also moved out, taking diamond point positions around Kechara in the center and leaving Snowstar the fourth point of the diamond. Snowstar looked at Drake and the _kestra'chern_, taking the hint, started herding people out through the doors. Winterhart was one of the last ones out; she took his hand and squeezed it before turning and ushering out the people in front of her.

Amberdrake was thankful for that; not only her absence at what was, hypothetically, the most dangerous part of the process, but also her serene outward confidence, and her gentle reassurance that she _was_ with him, always. He went and stood beside Skan. They were the welcoming committee; the spell would probably leave most or all of the mages involved unconscious, or at the least extremely weak. Drake and Skan, and a small group waiting outside, were in charge of making sure their new visitors felt… at home. Drake smothered a slightly hysterical laugh at that last thought and turned all his attention to Snowstar.

The k'Leysha Adept was the most powerful mage in the city. If he couldn't do this... they were all doomed. Amberdrake held his breath as a feeling of power filled the room. The four mages raised their arms, in perfect synchronization with each other, and Kechara’s eyes glowed with blue light as she sat in the middle, facing Snowstar. The little gryphon and the mage seemed to be staring at each other and the pale light grew stronger as it spread and seemed to fill the room, curling around the other mages. The feeling of power grew too, until it felt like an enormous creature crouched in the room with them, its presence overwhelming. Amberdrake shut his eyes against the light and the hand that was pressed firmly against Skandranon’s shoulder trembled. There hadn't been such a gathering of power since before the war and the destruction of Urtho's tower.

Suddenly the feeling of power dissipated, and as the light faded Amberdrake could hear someone screaming.

Instinct overcame restraint or fear, and he stepped toward the noise, but Snowstar held out an arm weakly to stop him. Drake frowned at Snowstar, then glanced at the room in front of them.

The three mages were collapsed where they had been standing. Kechara was standing dazedly where she had been sitting, looking around in alarm. Three other men had appeared, as if out of the air, one standing more or less in front of each mage.

The rightmost two from Amberdrake’s position stood looking around confusedly, their posture becoming more defensive as they regained some of their equilibrium. The man farthest to the left was lying on the ground, screaming as if his soul had been torn out.

Amberdrake pushed past Snowstar and went to the man, attempting to see if he was injured. As soon as he put his hands on the man, an inhuman shriek sounded and only a shouted warning from Skan saved him as he dropped and rolled, coming up in a crouch a few feet away.

A huge bird, a falcon, had its talons buried in the floor in a direct line from where Amberdrake's head would have been. It shrieked at him again, its feathers mantled, and it backed away a few steps to stand closer to the man it was protecting, swiveling its head around in an effort to keep an eye on everyone in the room. Was that a bondbird? Amberdrake glanced at Skan in amazement.

Skandranon wasn't looking at him. He was slowly advancing on the bondbird, clucking softly in an attempt to soothe it. To give the bird credit, it did not appear to be at all afraid of the enormous gryphon and it refused to give ground, buffeting the gryphon's head with its wings when Skan got too close.

The man had stopped screaming. He was lying on his side, one hand clutching at his chest, as if to ensure that his heart was indeed still there, and breathing in quick, shallow gasps. The bird quieted slightly, especially after Skan backed off a bit. It turned to the man and nibbled worriedly at his fingers. Almost automatically his fingers moved in a caress. "Kesuki," he whispered to the bird. The word was not familiar to Amberdrake, and for a moment he feared the translation element they had woven into the spell hadn't worked. The man looked up at him. "Why?" he asked, his face drawn and haggard. "Who are you?"

Drake looked up and met the eyes of the other two men as well, their faces suspicious and questioning. He bowed his head. "Please. I am sorry, but we are in desperate need of your help."

"Well, you certainly have a dramatic way of getting one's attention," the man who had been in the center said waspishly. "Is there anything else you needed while we were at it?" He was stroking the crest of another bird, one whose species looked entirely unfamiliar to Amberdrake; as the bird twittered in agitation what looked like fire cascaded off its feathers.

The third man stepped forward, glancing at the second man as if seeing... not a ghost, so much as something that should not exist the way that he saw it now. "Firesong?" he said, his voice uncertain, not so much in the identification as with the reality of his surroundings.

The second man turned to him, eyes narrowed. "Who are you?"

The third man looked long and hard at the one he had called Firesong, as if memorizing his face. "Darian," he said; a glance at Amberdrake, almost as an afterthought, seemed to say that Drake was _not_ welcome to take that as an introduction. "What is going on?" His cool, controlled words were almost as effective, or perhaps more so, than shouted expletives would have been. And the frankly enormous owl gripping at his shoulder with talons as long as Drake's fingers didn’t hurt his presence any. Drake didn't try to put him off, though truly explaining "what was going on" would take a very long time, since not even Amberdrake really knew.

"That is extremely complicated to explain," he started, "but let me say again that we needed your help. We were... forced to... call you here.” His eyes narrowed as he assessed what to say- what they would believe. _Sketi, he_ didn't even believe it. "We brought you here, from out of the future."

That earned him a few incredulous glares… which faded into thoughtful looks; particularly from the one called Darian. "So," he asked, "who exactly are you?"

Drake inclined his head. "Amberdrake k'Leshya, of the city of White Gryphon."

All three of them gasped in utter astonishment, looked around themselves again as if seeing the place for the first time, and Darian's incredulous eyes fell on Skan. "Right. Don't tell me, you're..."

"Skandranon Rashkae," he started but it was Firesong who finished.

"The Black Gryphon. Of course. Why not?" He shook his head, though whether in denial or something else, or in denial of what, Drake could not be sure. “Surely this is some elaborate hoax, though I assure you I do not find it amusing.”

Snowstar stepped forward. “I am sorry,” he said, and meant it, “but this is no hoax.”

It was Darian who spoke next. "I look forward to hearing more of this incredibly complicated story of yours, but perhaps we should sit down." He glanced at the owl peering over his shoulder when it hurred inquiringly. "And have some dinner?"

Drake nodded and went to open the doors. He admired this Darian's diplomatic skills under pressure. Snowstar moved to check his other mages and Kechara scampered wearily to Skan.

Firesong went to the other man, who was still seated on the floor and offered his hand to pull him to his feet. "And you are?" he said, his tone jesting- reminding the man that he was the only one there who had not yet been identified, but also implying that he wouldn't be surprised if the man didn’t particularly care to reveal himself to the group just yet.

The man accepted his hand and once he stood in front of Firesong, their faces mirroring each other strangely, long white hair framing pale eyes, he said simply, "Moondance."

Firesong gasped as if burned, and Darian's head came up. Moondance glared at them and Kesuki hissed at them from the mage's shoulder. "What is it?" he said warily.

"Moondance k'Treva? You..." Firesong began, but Darian cut him off.

"I think we should find out more about what is going on before we... start to talk to each other." He looked at Firesong uncomfortably.

Firesong returned his look, seeming to remember how Darian had called him by name even though he would have sworn he had never seen the other man before. "Yes. I suppose so."

Moondance looked at them suspiciously. "I suppose," he echoed, and he followed them as they left the room.


	2. Explain

Darian looked around the quarters which he had been shown as a place to refresh himself and Kuari. The stone walls of the chamber seemed to close in around him in a way that was unfamiliar. As he lowered Kuari to grip onto the railing at the foot of the bed, the owl hurred at him gently and cocked his head to look at Darian.

"I'm alright bird," he said affectionately, running his hand over Kuari's ear tufts.

_:This is good,:_ the owl responded. _:You were frightened earlier. And uneasy. Still- a little.:_ Kuari’s mindvoice was overlaid with concern. _:It is alright? These strange men? And Firesong?:_ He ruffled his feathers. _:Aya does not know me.:_ This fact seemed to him to be the most unsettling. Darian could see how that would be so; the owl probably couldn't grasp the concept of what exactly had happened to them. Hell, _Darian_ didn't think _he_ could grasp it just yet, but as he reached out with his magesight and felt the world around him he could tell that it was irrevocably different from the one he had known all his life. It seemed a difference that belonged more so to time than space; though being dragged unwilling through a gate to another place seemed just as unreal as being taken back in time. Wherever he was, or whenever, it would have to be far, far away from his home to produce the scattering of magic that he felt in the way the ley lines were feeding around him.

"I think he's not the same Firesong we know." He stroked the owl's head comfortingly, but his words were for both of them. "He seems... younger, I think. From before we met him." He frowned, still trying to grasp the concept of time- or rather, being out of time, existing on the other side of it- and of his teacher, both younger than him and... Shivers ran over his skin and he ran his fingers through his hair. "The Black Gryphon." He grinned weakly. "Kel's going to be so jealous."

The joke felt forced, and Kuari wasn't much of an audience. Darian decided he should probably think about that less and focus on right now. "I think I'll wash up," he murmured to Kuari. A glance around the room revealed a door that lead to a bathing room. He was peering into it when he heard a noise behind him. He turned to see a _hertasi_ standing cautiously in the doorway.

"Your pardon, sir," she began, as if not sure what reception to expect, but Darian smiled warmly at her. He noticed Kuari looking in her direction with interest; behind her stood another _hertasi_ with a platter discretely covered with a cloth and from the way Kuari's hunger had intensified he was fairly certain he knew what it contained.

"Hello," he said, and offered, "I must say I'm glad to see you. Figuring out this bathing room will be much easier with the help of _hertasi_."

She smiled at this and moved into the room. "I was not sure whether you would be familiar with those of my kind and I did not wish to frighten you," she said as she showed him the surprisingly simple levers that brought water into the basin for bathing. "My name is Jewel. Food for you is being brought, but we have food for your companion." She inclined her head at Kuari.

"He is most grateful," Darian said with another smile. That was something of an understatement. Whatever had brought them to this place, to this time, had made him incredibly hungry, and Kuari hadn't eaten yet today even before they came. The smile left Darian’s face. Before...

Thinking about things he'd done this morning, now thousands of years away, brought a sudden pang to his heart. He decided again to not think about that anymore. Which seemed something easier said, or thought, than done.

Though it was vastly different from what he was used to, the sophistication of the bathing facilities only slightly surprised Darian. He'd heard a great deal about White Gryphon, and not just from Kelvren and Silverfox, but Ayshen as well. After all, Ayshen's own ingenuity had designed k'Valdemar...

_Easier said than done_, he thought again, blocking his mind from that particular train of thought. Kuari, sensing his agitation, hurred softly. He smiled at the bird. "I'm alright," he said again, hoping that if he said it enough times it would become true.

He hurried and bathed as Jewel fed Kuari the chunks of meat she's brought for the owl. The sooner he felt a little more like himself, the sooner he could track down this Amberdrake and try to pin down exactly what was going on.

* * *

Amberdrake was seated in his chair at the Council table, leaning forward thoughtfully against his steepled fingers. "Drake?" Judeth called softly. He looked up at her.

"Sorry," he said. "Mind wandering. Must be getting old."

Judeth snorted disbelievingly at that, but now that she had his attention, she turned back to face the entire group. "Well?" she said succinctly.

Snowstar, looking more tired than all the rest of them combined, met her eyes. "Mages Arek, Sunwolf, and Thyer are resting but have all regained consciousness. They report that the feeling of impending disaster that marked their foresight visions has dissipated. They feel that whatever we have done, we have already taken enough steps that the potential for disaster has lessened. The newcomers were shown to quarters to eat and bathe before the Council this evening when we attempt to explain to them what we've done." His look turned thoughtful. "Judeth, did you see them?" She shook her head, and Snowstar continued, "I think they might be Kaled'a'in."

Judeth's eyes narrowed. "Kaled'a'in?" 

"I'm not sure," Amberdrake put in. "Their clothing is similar, their manner, and the bondbirds. But in many ways they are very different. Though," he frowned, "that could be the effect of the changes wrought on a culture by the passage of time."

"Could they be from the other tribes, rather than from the future as we were told?" Judeth added, but Snowstar shook his head. "Just wanting to make sure we consider all options." She frowned as well. "After all, even with all of the details the mages were able to give us we still are not entirely sure who these people are, or why it is them that we need so desperately."

"About that." Skandranon couldn't frown precisely, but he was doing an admirable job of trying. "What _do_ we know about who they are? The mages seemed certain that these people were all from different places and times, but they all seem to know each other.”

"Or at least _of_ each other," Drake put in.

Skan nodded the concession. "And, while it makes a certain sense, were we aware of the fact that they were all mages? And on par, at least, with Snowstar here?"

"Mages?" Judeth asked, bemused. "Is that what we needed? What was so important that we couldn't provide it ourselves?"

"Yes and no," Snowstar said. "They are mages, of great power, but there is something else about them... Something I cannot quite place."

The Council regarded each other for a few moments.

"Well." Judeth placed her hands palm down, firmly on the table. "We'll just have to ask them."

Amberdrake shook his head. "If I was them, I don't think I would be particularly inclined to tell us anything."

* * *

The Council stood as the three visitors entered the room and took the empty chairs placed for them at the table. Amberdrake noticed that none of them had left behind anything they had brought with them; one wore the sword he had come with, in a sheath across his back, and all three were accompanied by their birds, even the huge owl. Apparently, someone had foreseen this; there were perches for the birds behind the chairs and Drake saw the man with the owl- Darian, he remembered- settle the bird gratefully onto the post.

"Well." The one called Firesong was seated in the middle and seemed quite content and comfortable to be the center of attention. "Now that we're all somewhat clean and partially fed, are we going to find out what's going on?" Drake reeled back slightly; the man's tone was caustic and managed to insult the accommodations he'd been given without _sounding_ as if he was being insulting both at the same time. However Drake could feel the fear that lurked under the surface of his thoughts, and the thrill of exhilaration that filled him at the prospect of the unknown.

Judeth had remained standing, and now, after giving the newcomers an appraising look, she began to speak. "Well, you all look like big boys and like you can handle yourselves, so I'm not going to spare anybody's feelings. I hate to tell you that we really have no idea why you're here," she started, and Drake flinched at the bluntness of her words. "I guess the first thing I should tell you is just who _we_ are, and just _where_ you are."

"I don't think that's really all that necessary," Darian put in. "I think we all know who you are."

"Thoughts are better as facts." Moondance looked pointedly, and not particularly pleasantly, at Darian who nodded to concede the truth of it.

"I'm Judeth," she started around the table to her right, "Snowstar, Amberdrake, Skandranon. Residents of the city White Gryphon, and all of us of the k'Leysha clan of the Kaled'a'in.” She paused after the last word, as if waiting for a reaction. "So, who exactly are all of you?"

"And where exactly are you from?" added Snowstar.

"You don't even know that?" Darian shook his head, his calm flustered at last. "What exactly are you people _doing_ here? I thought White Gryphon was-"

"_Not_ a city of madmen." Moondance's eyes had narrowed even more and the expression he wore matched the sudden hissing of the hawk perched behind his head.

Snowstar fixed him with a look. "Please, it would be much easier if we had names to address you by." Moondance just glared at him icily.

Amberdrake was not at all surprised that the one who had identified himself briefly as Darian was the first to speak; this was a man who was a diplomat both by nature and experience.

"Darian Firkin k'Vala k'Valdemar. Of k'Valdemar Vale, year 1416 by Valdemar reckoning." He looked pointedly at Judeth. "That would make it about... 2400 years in your future." He seemed slightly stunned, as if he hadn't fully comprehended the enormity of that amount of time before he'd started speaking. Drake could feel sudden loneliness and despair fill him, only to be clamped down on and shunted back almost immediately. The man certainly had excellent control. More so than Judeth who had gone completely white at his words.

“Well, there's certainly no hope of following _that_ performance." The man in the middle sat up a little straighter and shook his hair back. "Firesong k'Treva," he said simply. "Currently of Haven, or rather the Dhorisha Plains I suppose, about 1390 AF, by Valdemar reckoning." He frowned. "Or else it was the last time I thought to take notice of the year. It's been awhile since time particularly mattered, other than the fact that we were running out of it. And Aya," he added, reaching back to give the bird a caress. Aya trilled brilliantly, sparks cascading down his feathers, and Firesong turned a gloating look on Darian, who, despite the circumstances, couldn't suppress a reflexive smile.

Amberdrake turned his eyes to the last person in the group. Moondance was watching Firesong and Darian as if he was quite certain they were both mad, and he also had paled as they revealed their origins. Moondance must have felt Drake's eyes on him; he turned to look at him, his face hard. "And you?" Drake asked softly.

"Moondance k'Treva," he said, his voice quiet. He offered no other information. Firesong and Darian both looked at him again, as if seeing him for the first time, realizing something they hadn't before. Darian's face was gentle, sympathetic, and Firesong looked at if he'd been hit upside the head by a brick.

"Roughly 800 AF," Darian said softly. "A peer of Herald Mage Vanyel Ashkevron." Firesong twitched at that name and Moondance shot Darian a black look. Darian merely looked at Judeth. "Is that sufficient?"

She nodded, turning to glance at her fellow Council members. "When Urtho, Mage of Silence and his adversary, Kiyamvir Ma'ar," she began without preamble, "both died at the same time, magical shockwaves rolled over the world, destroying the fabric of magic everywhere."

"We know," Firesong said, sounding slightly bored. "It's happening again in the future, in case you're interested." Moondance shot a look at him, but Darian only looked strangely mysterious.

Judeth tried to ignore him, though the information that the cataclysm was still affecting the far-flung future almost knocked Drake out of his seat. "The magical storms caused by this event had been weakening in strength considerably as of late. However..." She paused. "Another cataclysmic expulsion of magic has taken place, at odds with the first two." She took a breath. "We don't yet know the cause, but of far more importance at the moment is this fact: if the simultaneous destruction of the magical spells at Urtho's Tower and Ma'ar's Castle generated waves of magical backlash that overlapped each other as they expanded, this third event is focused in a place that is using the momentum of both sets of waves to propel it forward."

"Forward," Darian repeated. "Where is it going?"

Judeth sketched a diagram on the surface of the table with her fingers. "Since this new force has the center of the combined force of the two original cataclysms at its back, the waves it throws backwards get reflected back again to the front. See?" She demonstrated this, showing how the bulk of the energy expelled by the cataclysm was focused down a narrow region.

"White Gryphon is here," she said, pointing to the center of the narrow region. Everyone in the room took a minute to absorb that information.

"So your city is going to be destroyed. What concern is it of ours?" Moondance's voice was laced with pain. Drake looked at him closely, but it was Darian who answered.

"It is of concern to _me_. Many of my friends are descendants of this city. If it is destroyed now, they will never exist."

Firesong looked grim at Darian's words. "It is of concern to me as well, and the entirety of the world for that matter. Not only do I have friends among this city's descendants, in my time if it were not for the reappearance of the Lost Clan and the kyree who keep the history we would never have been able to translate the texts in the tower and understand the devices Urtho had left behind."

There were quite a few things in that statement that Amberdrake wanted to talk about, but Moondance stood.

"What I meant," he said as he leaned forward, placing his tightly clenched fists on the table and glaring at Judeth, "is why is it forced to be our concern? Why did you bring us here?"

"She didn't," a voice behind him said. "We did." Moondance whirled around and fixed his glare on the newcomers to the scene.

Three men stood in the doorway. The one in the center was the tallest; he was the one who had spoken. He was as slender as he was tall and seemed to exude an aura of self-assurance. "My name is Thyer," he said, inclining his head to Moondance, as well as to Darian and Firesong who had also stood and had turned to regard the trio by the door. "I present my fellow master mages Arek," he gestured to the man on his left, a short, dark-complexioned man with an eager face, "and Sunwolf." The man on his right was obviously a born Kaled'a'in, from his dress as well as his name, and all three were obviously mages, their eyes bright blue. Arek's hair was streaked with the white that also revealed his vocation; Sunwolf's was plainly dyed and Thyer's was iron grey, though the effect seemed to be from age and stress rather than the handling of ley lines.

"Then I ask _you_." Moondance stepped around his chair and strode over to Thyer to stand toe to toe with the taller man. "Why?"

Thyer's face revealed nothing of what he felt, but his voice was low and tense with emotion as he responded. "This city and its people may not mean anything to you, but their lives are important to me. Ever since my daughter was taken from me in the original Cataclysm, these people are the only family that remains to me. I was shown an opportunity, a way to save them, and I took it. Visions were gifted to me of a man with the power to help us- you. I am sorry if this disrupts your perfectly ordered life, but I am merely the one who had the vision- not the one who sent it."

A series of emotions flitted across Moondance's face, all of them too controlled to be fully identified. "Fine," he said finally. He turned back toward Judeth and stood behind the chair he had vacated earlier, raising a hand to stroke the feathers of the hawk as it moved from its perch to crouch on the mage's shoulder. "What do we do?" he asked, voice tight. "What is it that we have that you needed so badly you had to pull us here?"

Judeth glanced at Snowstar. "We were rather hoping you could tell us," she said softly.

There was a moment of silence as the three visitors exchanged glances of incredulity. “This cannot be true,” Firesong exclaimed again, though any real anger in his voice was overwhelmed by amusement. “I may have a rather high opinion of my abilities, but to be dragged to the middle of literal nowhere and asked to create out of whole-cloth some method with which to save the world is bad enough; to be dragged through time to do it _again_ is just too much!”

Moondance's expression was verging towards anger rather than amusement, but he remained silent.

"Actually,” Darian put in, eyeing his two fellow visitors. “I have an idea of where to start.” He leaned forward, his eyes bright. "It seems rather obvious to me why we've been brought here, though,” he nodded to Judeth and Snowstar, “perhaps you don't recognize the signs, since you don't have anything to compare it to."

Moondance broke his silence to glare at the other mage and demand impatiently, "What are you talking about?"

Snowstar was watching Darian intently. "Yes, I feel there is something about you," he murmured.

Darian smiled at Snowstar. "And then again it could be that it's only obvious to me because I just had my Adept trial two weeks ago." He rested his hands on the table. "I'm not sure why you need us, but the reason it needs to be us is pretty clear." Darian looked at Moondance and then shifted his gaze to Firesong. "We're all Healing Adepts."


	3. Need for Healing

There was a pause.

"What is a 'Healing Adept'?" Skandranon turned questioning eyes on Snowstar and Amberdrake, but their expressions were just as blank as his.

"A Healing Adept is a mage who heals the damage done to magic and the land by the Cataclysm." Surprisingly enough, Moondance was the one who responded. His eyes were on Darian and his gaze was thoughtful. "Such healing is the duty of all Tayledras, but doubly so the duty of a Healing Adept. It is our mission in the world, given by the Goddess." Firesong nodded at these words.

"'Tayledras'?" Amberdrake said softly, but suddenly his eyes flew wide as several things made sense. "The other clans! They were separated from us- She must have given them this task." If the other clans were the source, as it were, of these strangers it would account for their similarities with K'Leysha and for their being the subject of the Star Eyed's visions.

"Yes," Firesong confirmed. "It is a bit more complicated than just that, but I suppose we can leave the Shin'a'in out of it for the moment. At any rate, only recently, in my time, has contact with White Gryphon and the Kaled'a'in been reestablished." His eyes were amused as he looked over the Council. "The lost clan... Calling us for help? I can assure you, I will never let Silverfox hear the end of it." Suddenly his smile faded, as if he just remembered that he was miles, as well as millennia, away from Silverfox and, now, quite possibly would never see the other man ever again.

A pall of silence fell over the room. Moondance gripped the back of the chair he was standing behind, then suddenly turned and left the room.

Judeth stood. "We will meet again later," she officially dismissed them. Amberdrake nodded at her, then, following his profession, followed Moondance out into the hall.

The man was a mess; a knot of pain. Drake trailed after Moondance, sensing which way he'd gone by following the traces of his disturbed mind. Moondance had not gone far; Drake found him standing on a balcony and looking at the sea. Kesuki nestled in his bondmate's arms and Moondance stroked the falcon's crest soothingly. Drake came up behind Moondance, sure that the mage was aware of his presence.

"I am a _kestra'chern_," he began without preamble. "I... heal people, as perhaps you heal land. Please, if there is something that troubles you, allow me to help." Moondance turned to him, his eyes tortured, and the bitter and angry words he had ready died on his lips. Kesuki flapped up out of his bondmate's arms as Moondance collapsed against Amberdrake's strong shoulder, and a wracking sob tore from his throat. Kesuki crooned worriedly but did not attack Amberdrake as he had earlier.

"_Ashke_," Moondance cried against Drake's shoulder as the _kestra'chern_ took the other man in his arms and lowered both of them to the floor.

_"Ashke"?_ Drake thought. _Ashkeyana? Wait- he cannot mean... Sweet Goddess! What have we done!?_

"You are lifebonded," Amberdrake said with grim certainty as horror filled him.

"We were attacked, Brightstar, myself, and... S... Starwind," Moondance whispered, choking the words out around the fear and loss that filled him. "On our journey back to the Vale. I saw- he was standing there, but when I looked again, he was gone, and I- I couldn't feel him. And then I was here." He breathed in a deep, shuddering breath. "I can't _feel_ him."

Amberdrake wrapped his arms tightly around the other man. _Goddess..._ What had they done? If in tearing Moondance away from the battle in which he had been engaged they had inadvertently caused the death of his lifebonded... Even if this Starwind lived, even if Moondance's inability to feel the presence of his partner was due only to the vastness that separated them, they had torn the pair apart. And there was no guarantee that they would be able to return Moondance to his life.

"_Kechara_," Drake murmured, pulling Moondance against him and stroking the other man's hair. "What we have done is unforgivable. If I had known-" But he stopped. There was no comfort in might-have-been. Without thinking, Amberdrake opened himself fully to the other man’s pain, taking it into himself.

Goddess, but it _hurt_, like his heart, his head, his very reason for living had been torn away. Moondance sobbed brokenly in Amberdrake's arms as the _kestra'chern_ held him, rocking him softly, stroking his hair gently, tears streaming down his own face, and Kesuki stood guard over them both.

* * *

"Excuse me, sir."

As he was leaving the Chamber, Darian felt a presence beside him more than he heard the mumbled words. He paused and turned and found one of the mages standing at his elbow. It was the youngest looking of the three, Arek, if he remembered correctly. He was a full head shorter than Darian, and despite the bright white streaks in his hair and his striking features his manner was retiring.

"What is it?" Darian said readily. He couldn't help but respond to the young man, and as he took a good look at him, he realized just _how_ young the man was. _Man? Only barely..._

The boy's expression was grave and begged forgiveness. "I'm sorry," he said. "I'm sorry for bringing you here like this, but we _had_ to, and-" He stumbled over his words in his eagerness to express his sincerity, obviously expecting a reaction similar to Moondance's; though the young mage knew himself unable to stand up under a scathing reply as the older mage, Thyer, had, he felt compelled to make the gesture. Darian's heart went out to him.

"Hey." He took the boy by the shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly. "It's alright," he said, and he surprised himself by meaning it. "It's done now. No use worrying about it." He could see the boy wasn't quite convinced, so he leaned over and held his eyes. "If you folk have a problem, it's my job to help you. Didn't you hear Moondance? It's what we do."

"But Moondance-"

Darian squeezed his shoulder again. "Moondance left more behind than either of us did." He wasn't sure what to tell the boy exactly; Firesong had spoken to him about Moondance and Starwind, the lifebonded pair who had raised his ancestor Brightstar, but now that Moondance was no longer a figure of the ancient past Darian didn't want to go around telling people personal things about him; it wasn't his place. "He's in a lot of pain. But I'm sure that once he deals with it, he'll be ready to help out." Arek nodded, accepting. Darian smiled at him. "Now, would you mind helping me find my room? I was too tired to pay attention to where we were going when I came here, and now that I'm even more tired I don't trust myself not to end up walking off a cliff or ending up in the stables or something."

Arek grinned. "I can help with that." He frowned at Kuari, as if debating something mentally. Darian wondered what it was but wasn't left in suspense long. "If you're that tired," Arek offered cautiously, "I could carry your friend."

Darian smiled. "His name is Kuari, and he is flattered by your offer, as am I. However, I think I can manage, as long as I have you there to point me in the right direction."

Arek grinned again, obviously relieved.

Darian was grinning too, despite his weariness, as he followed the boy. Arek had a good heart, that much was obvious, which compelled him to give assistance wherever he could. While Darian had wondered how such a young mage had become part of this operation, it was no longer a mystery to him. Even if he hadn't been gifted with the visions that showed him Darian, as Thyer had said was how they had known to call the futuristic mages, he would have found a way to help out; that was just the kind of person he was.

But even as he thought about the boy, Darian worried about Moondance. He had seen Amberdrake follow him out of the Chamber; familiar with the profession of the _kestra'chern_, Darian knew that Amberdrake was probably the one most qualified to help Moondance- if any of them could. He spoke a thought to Kuari who queried Kesuki, who confirmed that the pair were together. That was good; Darian's immediate concern abated. He would give them some time together, and then he, Moondance, and Firesong needed to talk.

* * *

Firesong breathed in the fresh air of the garden, warm despite a cool breeze, enjoying the Vale-like peace of the locale. The warmth was like a balm after the winter he'd left behind, and the climate here had allowed the residents of the city to generate a thick growth of vegetation without the use of a Veil. It was refreshing after spending so much time underground, surrounded by stone, and he took the moment to relax in it.

He felt Sunwolf move behind him and he slipped into Aya's mind, the firebird's pale eyes regarding the Kaled'a'in mage alertly. The other man had showed Firesong the way to this garden and had lingered afterward. Sunwolf had an odd expression on his face as he watched Firesong, and he opened his mouth, his head cocked to the side, as if he would ask a question. But he closed his mouth again, shaking his head, and turned away. Every movement made his hair flow, the faces of wolves flickering in and out of the golden patterns. It was an amazing dye job, and one of the most ostentatious ways he'd ever seen of announcing ones' name. Firesong was rather impressed.

“What is it?” he asked, startling the other mage slightly as he only turned to face Sunwolf after he's asked the question. “You wanted to ask me something. What is it?”

Sunwolf's eyes narrowed and he regarded Firesong carefully. “You say you are from more than a thousand years in our future.”

It wasn't a question, but Firesong answered, “Yes.”

“When I saw you, in the vision that allowed me to bring you here, there was a man with you.”

This was also not a question and Firesong only quirked an eyebrow at the other mage. He wondered how soon before the moment from which he'd departed was when this vision took place; he'd been alone at that time.

Sunwolf seemed to be thinking rather heavily about what he would say next, to the point where he almost didn't say it. They stood for long moments in the garden before he did speak.

“I feel it must mean something,” Sunwolf said finally, his eyes meeting Firesong's. “The man with you, his appearance was familiar to me. So familiar that I feel there must be some lie in this somewhere. I saw it with my own eyes... but you cannot be who you say you are and still have been standing with him, touching his face, kissing him.”

Firesong blinked in surprise. “You think that Silverfox looks familiar to you? I suppose it's possible; he is likely a descendant of someone you know since he's from White Gryphon. But I don't understand why you find this so disturbing.” He narrowed his eyes. “Who do you think he looks like, anyway?”

Sunwolf turned away, his eyes roaming the garden for a moment. “It is something I would show you, rather than tell, and it is late- perhaps doubly so for you. I will meet with you tomorrow?”

Firesong frowned, but it _was_ late, and despite the refreshing garden he was tired. “Tomorrow then, with your mystery.”

Sunwolf smiled, a thin expression. “Not _my_ mystery.”

Firesong smirked, turning away, watching the mage again with Aya's eyes. “My life is an open book to you, seer. I have no mysteries.” Sunwolf gave a small nod like a bow, and then turned and left.

Firesong watched him go. A wind picked up, rustling the leaves and causing his hair to blow across his face. Aya chirped softly and Firesong raised a hand to scratch the firebird.

_:Well, isn't he a cryptic one. Ten to one he has some nefarious plot afoot.:_

Firesong snorted. _:Like what exactly? What could he want to do? Or why even? He's the one who brought us here.: _

_:Look here boy, I didn't tag along on this little trip for my health. Though, with the situation we left behind, this side trip could lengthen my years considerably.:_ Where it had been humorously ironic, the voice in his head grew cautionary. _:Just because he brought you here, and just because he thinks he knows someone who looks like someone you know, doesn't make him someone to be trusted.:_

_:I know, Need.:_ Firesong sighed, letting his hand drift from Aya to the hilt of the sword he wore across his back. _:But who _can _be trusted? And trusted with _what_? _They _don't even know why we're here.: _

_:Well somebody knows. And that somebody brought in Healing Adepts, so something needs healing. And it would seem to have something to do with this little reprise of the Mage Storms they’re experiencing, or weren't you listeing?: _

Firesong rolled his eyes and folded his arms over his chest. _:I’m glad you're here to tell us these things.: _

_:Well, someone has to point out the obvious to those who are inherently clueless. And here's one more obvious thing.: _

_:Yes?:_ Firesong waited for her to speak; he was expecting more scathing rhetoric and was surprised when her words were more complimentary.

_:If they're in the middle of a crisis, they certainly picked the right person to help them out. You're good, boy. And with me along to point out those obvious things, whatever's coming better watch out.:_


	4. Future Conditional

Despite his weariness, Firesong stayed in the garden awhile, thinking.

It was near dusk when Darian found him there. Firesong looked up at his entrance, and even as Darian opened his mouth to speak, Firesong said, "Yes I suppose you're right. Where is he?"

Darian shut his mouth and smiled. He motioned for Firesong to follow him, and the pair moved off. Aya winged off into the night, followed by the silent bulk of Kuari.

* * *

Amberdrake was tired. It was an exhaustion that seeped even the energy from his bones, that seemed to eat away at his soul. Moondance lay across his lap and Drake's hands rested comfortingly on him- one brushed hair back from his face, the other rubbed his shoulder reassuringly. Moondance's own arms were wrapped around Kesuki, the bird curled against his bondmate's chest making soft, comforting noises.

The flurry of wings drew Drake's attention to the ledge where Kesuki had been perched before. Another bird was settling there now, one that Drake recognized immediately if only because he had never seen anything like it before. It was Firesong's bondbird- Aya, if Drake remembered correctly. The bird cocked its head at them and chirred inquiringly. Kesuki chirped back. Moondance raised his head. "They're coming," he said.

Drake was about to ask him who was coming when there was a soft rustling of cloth in the doorway and a voice said, "See, he has found healing- or as much as can be found. You worry too much, Dar'ian of k'Valdemar." Amberdrake looked up to find Darian and Firesong looking down at them.

Moondance tried to rise, pushing himself to his knees, but if he was half as tired as he looked, and as Drake felt, that looked to be about as far as he was going to get. Darian came forward and offered his hand, pulling the other mage to his feet. Moondance leaned on him heavily and when Darian pulled him all the way into his arms and carried him from the room he only laughed softly.

Firesong offered Amberdrake his hand and the kestra'chern took it gratefully, getting wearily to his feet. He glanced in the direction that Darian had taken Moondance and took his hand from Firesong's grasp. "I will leave you," he said. He could feel that they wanted to talk, to each other, together as victims of the same circumstance; and without the originator of that circumstance there to overhear.

But Firesong touched his arm. "Stay," he said softly.

It was not a question or a command, but rather an offer. “In that case,” Amberdrake smiled, "I believe I will."

They gathered in Moondance's room; Darian lay the mage on the bed and sat on the edge of the table near him, lighting a lamp ensconced in a niche in the wall above him. Amberdrake folded gratefully into an armchair and Firesong stood by the window, flicking the gauzy drape aside as Kesuki flew in and checked in with his bondmate, only to depart again moments later.

Moondance sat up on the bed wearily. "'Suki says Kuari is a funny bird," he said, glancing at Darian from under lowered eyelids.

"Kuari says Aya freaks him out," Darian responded, throwing a glance at Firesong.

Firesong snorted. "Aya's so happy to see other birds that are capable of coherent speech, no matter how feeble, that he is willing to overlook all of their other obvious shortcomings."

Darian laughed outright, and even Moondance smiled. Amberdrake watched them; the conversation almost seemed to serve as a code between them. _"My bird thinks your bird is weird"? No... it's more than that... _Drake thought about how Kesuki had acted with Moondance, and Firesong's comments about Aya. _What if their entire society has companions of this sort? If so, then perhaps they have some feeling of community between them that we could never provide._ Once again he berated himself, and the entire Council, for acting as they had without thinking the matter through thoroughly. Was their fear and perceived need truly enough to justify what they had done? But, a part of him thought, it had to be. If this helped at all then they had to have done it. Surely the Star-Eyed's gifting of the visions was proof enough that she approved this course.

Silence descended over the room; a healing silence, rather than an uncomfortable one. The trio seemed to gain strength from each other's presence, and even Amberdrake could feel it- healing energy that washed over him, easing his weary body. When Firesong spoke, he didn't seem to disturb the silence; rather it felt right, as if one stage of healing had been completed and another was about to begin.

"I have always wished to be lifebonded." He was looking out of the window at the fading sunset as he spoke. "I have done... things, in my search for such a bond." He paused for a long moment, and then turned to Darian. "Tell me, have I yet been cured of my folly?" His eyes were bright, asking more than that simple question.

"I can't say for certain," Darian responded. He smiled. "But I believe so." Firesong nodded. There was obviously something else he was dying to ask, but he only glanced at Darian and kept his silence.

"Have we already changed it?" Moondance's voice was thin, strained, and the others seemed to know what he was talking about. "Has the future not already been irrevocably changed, just by our presence here? By our… absence there?" He looked at Firesong then they both turned their eyes on Darian.

He sighed. "I suppose it can't hurt anything more." He fell silent again for a long time, as if debating the wisdom behind his last words. "Yes, it's Silverfox," he said abruptly. "He stays." Darian's eyes seemed to glow in the semi darkness as he smiled at Firesong.

Firesong took a deep breath and nodded firmly. He looked at Moondance. "Brightstar is my ancestor," he offered. Moondance's eyes flew open in surprise. "By the tales of my Vale he lived to an old age. There is less, about you." He stumbled slightly over the last part; Drake could only imagine what it was like talking in the severely past tense about someone who was sitting there, looking at you. "But you die together, you and Starwind. I am sorry, that is all I can offer." Moondance nodded; it seemed to be enough.

"This does not make sense." Darian frowned. "In my time there is no record of this happening, of either White Gryphon calling for such aid or of the pair of you vanishing from history. If it has already happened, then shouldn't it be recorded?"

"Yes, unless for some reason, no one knew about it," Firesong said. "Ma'ar practiced his tricks for all of that time as well, and no one ever suspected him."

Amberdrake flinched at the mention of Ma'ar's name. The three mages seemed to suddenly remember him and glanced over at him. Firesong smiled, the expression looking faintly predatory in the dim light. "Silverfox speaks highly of you, _kestra'chern_."

Drake shivered. They knew the future... He closed his eyes.

He had always hoped for a future where his daughter could grow up and live her life in peace with children of her own, but the only future he could really imagine, especially with recent events, was a repeat of what he already had known in his life. Visions of the past danced across the inside of his lids; if that was the future that waited, he didn’t want to know.

"That is part of what makes no sense," Darian was saying. "White Gryphon is a peaceful, prosperous city, according to Ayshen, that hasn't ever had any real problems with war or any other dangers. Or nothing other than the usual, everyday problems of a thriving city. With Haighlei protection, no one else ever bothered them."

"This is true." Firesong suddenly looked at Amberdrake. "You _have_ met the Haighlei, correct?"

"Yes," Amberdrake breathed. _Their future- peaceful._

Firesong frowned. "Yes, it truly does not make any sense."

Moondance shook his head at them. "_None_ of you make sense," he said with a ghost of a grin. "K'Leshya... the lost clan, found." He shook his head again, in wonder and denial. "And now I am _here_, in the past." He looked around again, settling his eyes on Firesong. "And you speak of Ma'ar as continuing. What is this?"

"Ma'ar discovered a way to flee his body before soul death," Firesong said, relating the facts as succinctly as possible, "hiding himself in the void between Gates until one of his blood called fire, therefore proving himself possessing of the mage gift; he would use this opening to possess his descendant's body. Then, in this new, stolen body he would continue to wreak his havoc." Moondance and Amberdrake stared at him uncomprehendingly. "You know Leareth, Moondance? He is Ma'ar, reborn." Moondance inhaled sharply; Amberdrake's expression of doubtful shock grew slightly more believing at this.

"Skan will be incredibly disappointed," Amberdrake murmured. He looked at each of the other men in turn. "So, each of you have faced Ma'ar in the future?"

"No," Moondance said. "Leareth was destroyed by Vanyel. K'Treva only cleaned up the messes his evil left behind."

"And by my time, Ma'ar is truly dead.” Darian's gaze was on Firesong.

Amberdrake turned interested eyes on Darian. "Who stopped him? And _how_?"

"I did." Firesong's voice was uncharacteristically soft. He looked up at Amberdrake. "We hurt his body to the point where his soul fled, and I traced him to his hidden retreat and tore it, and him, to pieces." There was a moment of silence as they all looked at him, taking in the information.

_:I suppose this would be the moment to poke my head in and introduce myself.:_

Amberdrake and Darian jumped while Moondance looked around suspiciously. "Who..." he began, but Firesong waved off his question with an air of resignation as he moved from the window to sit in the chair near it.

He drew the sword over his shoulder and laid the bare blade on the table in front of him. "This is Need. I think I'll let her explain this one herself, since she started it. All I can say is, don't think about it too hard and just accept her for the annoying help she can be." He rubbed fingers against his temples. "You'll get used to her. Or go mad. Whichever."

_:Quite the wit as usual, boy.:_ The others all stared at the sword, varying levels of disbelief on their faces as Need continued. _: Hello all. I can't say I'm as impressed as the rest of you lot at being here, but then I've lived through all this before. To keep it brief, a long time ago, even from where we sit now, for various reasons, I made a sword and decided to bind my soul to it. What with one thing and another, I ended up stuck helping Firesong here and the ragtag mages save the world, which is where we were when you lot dragged us here. And now, I think it's time we got off the why and how of it and decided what comes next.: _

Darian blinked and covered a smile with his hand. "Well, I've heard about you Need, but the reality certainly exceeds any expectations. And you are most certainly right. We need to know more about the situation here and what we're supposed to do about it." He glanced at Amberdrake.

"I wish I could be of help," Drake said. "But what you have said disturbs me greatly. If you have no record of this happening in your futures, then..." He shook his head. "All I know is that the Star-Eyed has guided us through it so far by granting visions. There were those who had visions of destruction before the first renewed wave of storm hit us, though they were not believed until after the fact." Sorrow and pain crossed his face and his eyes were vacant as he looked into the near past. After a moment he shook himself and came back to them. "_Then_," he continued, "when Thyer came forward and told us about his dream we listened. Perhaps we listened too readily. We were desperate." He looked up. "And one does not question the Star-Eyed. If she said to call you here, who are we to argue?"

Silence followed and Moondance closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "Who are we indeed."

"So," Firesong interjected, "we know nothing about this cataclysm? What caused it, who caused it? How it is affecting the use of magic? Obviously, you were able to get us here, but what about Gating?"

"There's another storm due either late tomorrow or the next day which should disrupt the use of all magics. Reliable Gating has not been possible since before the original cataclysm. Other than that, Skan and Judeth sent out patrols of Silvers; gryphons only, because of the distance. None have returned yet."

"Are they overdue?" Darian asked softly.

Drake nodded, closing his eyes, overcome by weariness again. "But not by much," he said, desperately clinging to hope.

"All right." Darian stood up. "I suggest we get some rest, and in the morning, we'll see if we can help you find these missing patrols."

Firesong raised an eyebrow at Darian. "And who said you were in charge? Never mind," he said dismissing it before it could become an issue. “Your suggestion makes good sense. I second." He rose and stretched before sweeping Need up from the table. "In the morning then."

Amberdrake rose as well and followed Darian and Firesong out into the hall. They parted ways and he made his way to his home.

Winterhart was waiting up for him. She pulled him in through the door when he almost fell asleep on the step, too tired to push the door open, and guided him gently to the bed and forced him to lie down. He sighed as he let his body relax and sighed again softly in contentment as Winterhart lay down beside him, her arm around him, her head on his chest. He folded his arms around her and held her, taking comfort in her closeness. She simply held him, understanding that what he needed was her presence more than her words. He stilled his worried mind and slept.

* * *

Skandranon was not sleeping.

The night wind buffeted his head viciously, as if announcing the morrow's coming storm. He scanned the darkened sky from where he stood on the clifftop platform, searching for some sign of a returning patrol. A hand came out of the darkness, finding his blackened shoulder and resting there. He glanced over at Judeth.

"No one could fly in this," she said, telling him what he already knew. She added, softer, "It's not your fault."

He heard her words over the wind and sighed. "I know. That doesn't mean I can't still feel responsible; that I can't wish it was twenty years ago and it could still be me and no one else risking their feathers." He dropped his gaze from his sky-watch and sighed. Judeth squeezed his shoulder. She understood. A commander hated losing troops; particularly, a commander with so very much field experience hated sending green troops to do a job he _knew_ he could do better.

Suddenly Skan's head shot up, the muscles under Judeth's hand tensing. "Skan, what..." she began, but he was already gone, dropping off the side of the cliff like a falling shadow until his wings snapped open and he caught an updraft. While the analytical side of her brain understood the reasoning behind that maneuver- the wind currents near the top of the cliff were more unpredictable- Judeth was still wondering _what_ had inspired him to leap into the sky in the first place. "Goddess," she murmured, the sudden wild thought jumping into her mind that Skan intended to fly all the way to the edge of the patrol himself, tonight, to find the missing Silver Gryphons. "Skan, don't be stupid," she mumbled, knowing there was no way he would hear her. But as she peered after him she saw it, and she had to whisper again, more reverently, "Goddess!"

Judeth stepped to the back of the platform, trying to get out of the way as Skan came in for a landing that could only be called a controlled crash, his claws snared desperately in the harness worn by the scout he has spotted coming in, the other gryphon's last reserves of strength giving out on him in the strong winds as he tried to make it back the last little bit to give his report. The pair lay sprawled, a giant mess of tangled, heavily breathing gryphon, and Judeth maintained the presence of mind to call down for a Silver to fetch a healer or _trondi'irn_, whichever could get there faster. She approached the pair cautiously but both gryphons saw her and neither seemed to be in a great deal of pain. She recognized the scout; seeing her he raised his head, his mouth open and tongue hanging out as he panted for breath, and gryph-grinned at her weakly.

The scout took a deep breath. "Commander," he said, rolling to one side so that he could look over his shoulder and include Skan in the glance he gave Judeth. "I've brought information."


	5. Found and Lost

_"Moondance." _

_He brushed the voice aside. "Let me sleep." _

_Laughter. "_Ashke_, get up." _

_Moondance opened one eye and glared up at Starwind who only laughed harder. The mage leaned over and kissed Moondance softly on the temple, throwing his arm around the younger man and pulling him close against his body. "_Ashke_," he said again, the word barely more than a rumble in his chest to Moondance’s ear. _

_Moondance sighed, smiling. He could stay here, like this, forever. _

_He frowned suddenly. Something was wrong. He pulled away and looked at Starwind intently. "_Ashke_," he said, oddly desperate to prove the word, to make it real by saying it, but it died on his lips and the hand he raised to cup Starwind's cheek closed on empty air as he felt Starwind leaving him, slowly, as if being pulled away, irrevocably away, until whatever bonds existed between them shattered and he was alone..._

"_Ashke_," Moondance whispered. His eyes opened slowly, and he looked with sorrow upon his surroundings. Pushing himself up frantically from the bed where he lay, he stumbled to the window. He gazed wildly down at the people that walked beneath it, clutching at the window-frame as if desperate to prove its existence before it too left him all alone.

Kesuki landed on the sill of the window between Moondance's hands and chirped comforting. _:Not alone, stupid Moondance.:_ The falcon reached forward and nibbled at the mage's hair. _:Hurts,:_ Kesuki observed succinctly. _:Hurts, but not alone.:_

Moondance's hands rose automatically to stroke Kesuki, and even with the memory of his dream still fresh, even with the pain that had caused it still as real as it had ever been, he smiled. "You're right, bird."

_:Keh. Always right.:_

Moondance laughed and swept Kesuki into a wild hug that shocked the bird but was careful not to injure him. "Maybe not always. But you are right." His eyes drifted to the sunlit street below. "They need my help," he said, speaking to himself more than any audience. "I... It _hurts_. Goddess it hurts. But I have to help them. And-" His embrace tightened unconsciously around Kesuki. "And nothing is final. Nothing has happened yet." He closed his eyes tightly. Goddess, it _hurt_. "Firesong said together," he whispered. "Together." He touched the feathers braided in his hair.

A gentle knock at his door brought him out of his self-assuring mantra.

He released Kesuki, who perched on the back of the chair near the window and went to answer it. He found the young mage standing there; his name was Arek, Moondance thought he remembered.

"Ah, good morning, sir." The mage shifted nervously, lowering his head and refusing to meet Moondance's eyes. "I know it's early yet, but a scout returned last night with information and the council is meeting soon to discuss it. They asked me to inform you." He bobbed his head respectfully and started to depart, but Moondance grabbed his sleeve.

"Wait," he said softly, and when the young man turned to look at him in surprise he continued, with a small smile, "Thank you."

Arek's surprised confusion turned to sheer terror and he stuttered out, "Y-you're welcome," before he fled down the hall.

Kesuki clucked deep in his throat- a raptorial chuckle. _:Boy is scared.:_ He cocked his head at his bondmate. _:Moondance scary.:_ He slicked his feathers down in mock fear and leapt to the floor to waddle across it comically as if seeking an escape.

Moondance smiled again at Kesuki's attempt to cheer him up. "I suppose I am. I was very angry yesterday." He frowned thoughtfully. "I shall have to correct his misimpression." _But first_, he thought, with a glance at his sleep rumpled clothing and hair, _if the Council is meeting, I shall have to make myself presentable_. If a scout had returned, then maybe their presence was about to justify the Star-Eyed's call.

* * *

People were about early this morning, eager for information- the news of the scout's return had raced through the city. Firesong made his way warily down the hall toward the Council chamber. It was far too early to consider being conscious; in addition to not really being a morning person, he hadn't slept well- or, truly, much at all. He was not in the mood for conversation, so he avoided catching the eye of anyone around him as he moved down the increasingly crowded hallway.

"Firesong!"

He paused and turned toward the source of the address, but his displeased expression did nothing at all to discourage the interested party from continuing to address him.

"Firesong," Sunwolf said again with a small incline of the head as he caught the other man up and they began to walk down the hall together. "I wanted to extend an invitation to my home this afternoon, after the meeting."

He could hear Need laughing in the back of his mind, and he knew that she meant to remind him of her suspicions rather than mock him. "Ah. I don't suppose this has anything to do with your mystery?" Firesong asked blithely.

"Not _my_ mystery," Sunwolf again denied, "but yes, it does. I-" He stopped, his eyes caught by something in the crowd, and, surprised, Firesong stopped, too. Sunwolf reached for his arm, his voice suddenly apprehensive. "If you would come this way for a moment, we have some time _before_ the meeting."

Firesong glanced at him sharply. "And if I do not?"

Sunwolf's mouth tightened and his eyes rested beyond Firesong, on the object in the crowd that had caught the mage's attention. "Then it will still not wait, and we shall have to discuss it in the middle of the hallway."

_:Careful,:_ Need warned, but he batted her away impatiently.

_:Do you think I am stupid?: _he hissed at her, irritation combining with impatience to vent itself upon her. _:I don't need your warnings, old woman.: _He narrowed his eyes at Sunwolf and added haughtily to Need, :_I have _never_ trusted anyone better dressed than I.: _ He nodded to Sunwolf and allowed the mage to guide them to the side of the hallway where a small alcove turned out to be a balcony similar to the one where he had found Moondance and Amberdrake yesterday. "So, what is this great mystery?" he asked the other mage sharply.

Sunwolf was watching him carefully. "You might deny it, but you are the source of the mystery. In a way, this all revolves around you. I feel the Star-Eyed would not have shown me what she had if she did not mean for me to know this."

Firesong frowned and shook his head impatiently. "You aren't making any sense."

A figure paused in the doorway to the alcove and leaned in toward them. "Father?" the figure called, and Sunwolf answered.

"I am here, Nightsinger. Please join me if you would. This is Firesong, who is new to our city. Firesong," he gestured to the newcomer, a young man, who had entered and Firesong pulled his eyes from where they rested suspiciously on the other mage to cast them over the newcomer as Sunwolf finished, "this is my son, Nightsinger."

Firesong felt all the blood rush from his face and the breath from his body as he looked upon the face of Sunwolf's son, and he knew then why the other mage had been so very suspicious of him. "By the goddess," he murmured, taking a step backward and feeling his hand close on the stone railing of the balcony. Aya bated nervously and hissed at the newcomer.

Nightsinger was the precise image of Silverfox. It was more than that they resembled each other- the exactness of the resemblance was uncanny- down to the way he smiled, and the broad silver streak in his black hair... Firesong closed his eyes and shook his head. No, there was _no way_. He opened his eyes again and glared warily at Nightsinger, the younger man glancing between his father and Firesong in confusion. 

_So._ Firesong steadied himself with a hand on Aya, the firebird ducking under his chin to cuddle against him worriedly and examined Nightsinger again. His hair was not streaked silver, as it had briefly appeared; it must have been a trick of the light. And there was an unfamiliar and completely unrecognizable look in his eye. No, this was not Silverfox. His Silverfox, so far away now, and for a moment Firesong was seized by a sudden, intense longing, and a deep and bitter anger that this man was _not_ Silverfox.

The three of them were silent after Firesong's whispered oath, and Sunwolf was the first one to break that silence. "So now you see the source of my concern," he said wryly. "There is no counterfeit in your reaction, that I can tell, but the-"

"The resemblance is indeed uncanny," Firesong interrupted him, voice steady, unlike the beating of his heart. "But not exact." He met Sunwolf's eyes and the other mage's expression hardened. "I can see why it would interest you, but I can assure you that there has been no deceit on my part."

Sunwolf nodded intently. "Nor have I intended to deceive you," he reminded. "I want only to know what it means."

Nightsinger stood silently, watching them; the younger man's curiosity was poorly hidden, but he held his tongue before his father and the stranger, arms folded tightly before him. Firesong watched him carefully. 

"It means nothing," he said finally. "If you will excuse me, the meeting is beginning." He drew himself up and pushed past the pair.

Sunwolf nodded once to him as Firesong passed, his face still closed and hard. The other mage lingered in the alcove for a moment and did not follow, for which Firesong was grateful. He had an arm still wrapped around Aya, the other hand resting steadyingly on the hilt of a thankfully silent Need as he ducked back into the hallway. It was far emptier than it had been a few moments ago, or at least it seemed so, and he strode down it forcefully until he rounded a corner. Stopping suddenly, he leaned heavily against the wall. His other hand dropped so that both arms wrapped around Aya, who crooned comfortingly, and Firesong tried to organize his mind around what this could mean- for, whatever he'd said, the one thing it didn't mean was nothing.

* * *

Amberdrake was awake, but he did not feel at all rested from the events of the previous day. He sat at the council table, eyes closed, hands wrapped around the cup of warm liquid in front of him. The heat soaked into his skin, bringing him more awake. He looked up as Firesong entered the room. The mage looked distinctly unsettled, but Amberdrake's eyes were drawn irrevocably to Need, the sword's hilt visible over Firesong's shoulder.

_:See something you like?:_ Her gravelly voice sounded in his head, her sarcastic tone doing more to wake him up than anything else.

_I see something that astounds me_, he thought in reply, wondering if she could hear him. He was not a mindspeaker, but that she had the ability to make herself heard to him suggested that the opposite might be true as well. Managing to tear his attention away from the sword, he observed Firesong carefully. There was something disturbing the man, something more than simply the current situation, and Amberdrake frowned. There wasn't anything he could do about that at the moment, and he observed Darian as well, who had walked in behind Firesong and who was also watching the mage intently.

Hakeri, the gryphon scout, entered next and Amberdrake was surprised to see him deep in conversation with Moondance. The mage nodded politely to the gryphon and came to take the empty seat next to Drake.

Drake smiled at him welcomingly; Moondance looked amazingly better than he had the previous day. "I inferred from what the three of you said last night that you are unfamiliar with gryphons in your time, yet you speak so easily with Hakeri. Was I mistaken?"

"No, you were not." Moondance flicked his hair to the side as he sat down. "I was amazed to see such creatures; not surprised, for even in the future we know of their existence in what is our past. Though, as you perhaps noticed, my mind was given over to other concerns when I first arrived." His tone was darkly humorous, and Amberdrake nodded; Moondance was dealing with the pain, not letting it immobilize him. "I have found since," the mage continued, "that they are exceptional creatures, as I expected, and that they are possessed of an ironic wit that I find soothing."

Amberdrake grinned. "Yes, they are exceptional. A fact of which they will constantly remind you."

Skandranon, on Drake's other side, coughed and glared pointedly at the _kestra'chern_. "Could we begin the meeting Drake or are you too busy?"

Covering his smile with one hand, Amberdrake gestured for Skan to continue. "By all means, my friend. Let us begin." The look Skan shot him was withering, but the gryphon quickly turned his attention to the young scout. "Give your report, Silver."

"Yesss sir." Hakeri still looked slightly battered from his recent experiences, but a brief rest and some good food had done wonders. He sat before the council and spread his wings slightly, flexing the muscles in an unconscious nervous habit, as he began to speak. "I wasss assigned to B Group; we traveled far to the east and north. The group consssisssted of Shintea, Lori, and myself." He closed his eyes for a moment. "They... werrre yearmatesss of mine, and excellent flierrrsss both." There was a pause before he continued. "We set out east along with C group; after two daysss of flying we veered to take the northern loop while C Group went south. Once we were on our own, we saw nothing unusual for 3 daysss of flying- not even the disssturbance of changed creatures, which isss unusssual in itsss own way. It wasss the morning after that- the sixth morning out, one and a half daysss direct flight back to White Gryphon- when we firssst saw any sign of activity." He shifted uncomfortably. "We saw an encampment, military in nature. 'Tea wasss acting scout leader." He paused. "Ssshe told us to be cautious." He shook himself and resumed his report in a detached voice, but his accent thickened, betraying his emotions. "We ssscouted, carrreful not to be ssseen, ssstaying high and flying farrr to the ssside of the camp beforrre coming in to land. It wasss well into night beforrre we could get clossse enough to sssee them well at all. The night wasss moonlesss; Lorrri and myssself apprrroached from what ssseemed to be the leassst guarrrded ssside. When we had gotten fairrrly clossse Lorrri hung back asss I crrrept clossser. I know a ssspell to make worrrds clearrrly underrrssstood even when half hearrrd, ssso I went until I wasss verrry clossse." Hakeri paused again, attempting, with only partial success, to speak clearly. "They hearrrd me. I managed to get back to Lorrri, but they sssaw usss and he knew I had the inforrrmation, and that I wasss fassster than him, so he thrrrew himself at them, ssso I could ssslip away. I... I made it back to 'Tea and told her what I'd heard, but they we were still looking for me, ssso ssshe distracted their mage while I ssslipped past. And, anyway, ssshe wassn't going to leave without Lorrri."

The room was silent. After a moment, Skan gently prodded Hakeri into continuing. "What did you overhear?"

Hakeri blinked. "Yesss sssir." He paused before continuing. "There were men, talking around a campfire. They dissscusssed the fact that they werrre employed by one known as Krawlven. They spoke of him as being a great mage, the one who had caused the stormsss, or rather, they blamed him for the bad weather and unreliability of magic," Hakeri clarified. "They were drunk; all soldiersss and one officer who wasss also a mage who had joined them. He was familiar with them; it ssseemed that he came to drink with them often. The men complained about the marching they had done and the poor weather. The mage told the men that they could put up with the weather forrr now since it wouldn't be long before they moved south farrr enough, to where even mage weather wouldn't sssnow on them. He had heard from Krawlven that they werrre going to invade a city to the south and west that promised great riches; Krawlven claimed that to do so would be a personal triumph, but that thossse men who would aid him could all enjoy the ssspoils as well." A murmur ran through the chamber as the obvious location of the nebulous city dawned on everyone. Hakeri continued. "Krawlven had told this mage that it was his plan to create these mage stormsss and let them destroy the city for him, moving in to collect the plunder only after the city had been... sssubdued." He paused.

"Thank you Hakeri," Amberdrake said softly, dismissing the young gryphon with his voice in preparation for the Council to discuss the information.

Hakeri hesitated. "Sssir, there is more. Not about the plans, but the man said more about Krawlven. He wasss drunk so it might not mean anything, but..."

"By all means Silver," Skandranon rumbled. "Continue."

Hakeri nodded sharply. "The mage said that Krawlven had seen hisss own death in a vision and that he wasss practically mad to prevent it. The mage wasss of the opinion that Krawlven had become somewhat mentally unssstable since he had performed the spell which had caused the new stormsss. It had alwaysss been Krawlven'sss intention to take thisss city, but since the time of that spell he had become almost obsesssive."

Amberdrake felt a shiver run down his spine.

"Lassstly," Hakeri continued, "The mage-commander told hisss men that they should stop whining, because thisss was going to be an easy campaign, that Krawlven had already an informant in a place of power within the city they marched toward, who wasss working toward Krawlven's goals and would sssignal them when all wasss ready for them to invade."

An initial gasp of indrawn breath gave way to silence that echoed around the chamber.

_:Ha! Told you so.: _

Amberdrake jerked his head around reflexively, looking for the originator of that voice before he remembered that it was Need. His eyes went to Firesong; the look on the mage's face seemed to say he had heard the comment as well, but no one else in the chamber showed any indication of being contacted by the sword.

"Is that all?" Judeth asked Hakeri, her expression and tone wry, observing that what he had already said was quite enough- almost too much to digest at once.

Hakeri nodded. "That wasss when the mage-commander noticed me." His expression was at once proud, to have provided necessary information, sorrowful, that the information should be so dark, and tired, filled with a physical and emotional weariness that wanted only a release from his duty for full expression.

"Very well. You may go take some very well-deserved rest Scout." Hakeri nodded again, lifting one wing in a salute to the Council before he left the chamber. Once he was gone Judeth looked around. Amberdrake followed her gaze, taking in all the faces in the chamber: himself, Skandranon, Judeth, Snowstar, Darian, Firesong (and dare he forget Need?), Moondance, and, standing by the wall observing, Thyer, Arek and Sunwolf. There was a traitor in their midst? It was hardly possible to imagine... Drake physically couldn't imagine any of the other Council members doing any such thing, and to think it of the three mages gifted with the Star-Eyed's visions or of their three futuristic visitors either seemed just as blasphemous.

"Well." Judeth sat down. "This is some interesting news."

Snowstar nodded, his forehead furrowing in thought. "True, but it doesn't change what needs to be done, at least in the short term. We need to make sure the city is ready for the storm, or as ready as it can be. It could come as early as this afternoon and we need to be prepared."

Judeth looked up frowning. "Yes, that is the first priority. And starting as soon after as is possible we'll set up a relay along the northeastern pass so we can keep an eye on this Krawlven." She looked at Snowstar then swept her gaze around the chamber. "Is the name familiar to anyone?"

Snowstar shook his head. "I have not heard it before."

Skan shook his head as well then glanced over at Amberdrake who had gone suddenly still. "Drake? What is it?"

Amberdrake shivered again, though the room was not cold. "I have heard the name before," he murmured. His eyes were dark with shadows and he didn't even notice that he had sat for long moments, everyone waiting for him to speak, until Skan moved beside him, snapping his great black wings open as he hissed, as if at some enemy that no one could see, and spread one wing over Amberdrake.

Amberdrake looked up at him, startled out of his reverie enough to smile at Skandranon. "The name, Krawlven," he said again, "I've heard it before, though at first I couldn't remember where." He took a deep breath. "It was when I was at school, in Predain." Skan hissed again and Drake placed a calming hand on the gryphon's shoulder. "Krawlven is a figure in a prophecy they have in that country of a dark god who will be born to human flesh to reward his true followers by giving them dominion over the earth. It was thought by many that Ma'ar's coming was the fulfillment of this prophecy, though others thought that Ma'ar was but a forerunner of the god." Amberdrake paused, shivering. "I'm not sure what this means for us. I doubt it is a god that we face, but…"

Everyone in the room looked grim, except for Firesong who had shaken off his earlier unsettled look and appeared to be trying to contain laughter. Darian was looking at the other mage sidelong, as if he was certain he knew what amused the man but was also certain he didn't want to share it with the rest of the room and was hoping no one else noticed Firesong's amusement.

Amberdrake observed them carefully; he remembered a part of their conversation last night, about Ma'ar still existing...

_:And you'll keep that to yourself if you're at all smart boy.:_

He flinched. _Lady, some warning please!_ He covered his face with his hand briefly as he thought at her, still unsure that she was able to hear him. _Why should I not mention such a thing? I trust these people. Unconditionally. This information could prove useful and their opinions invaluable._

He didn't have to wait long for a response. _:You might trust them, and Firesong might trust you, but I don’t trust anyone- particularly not in this circumstance. You're a _kestra'chern_\- think of last night as a night with a client and keep it confidential.:_

He frowned but saw her point. _Alright._ He took his hand away from his face to see Judeth giving him a worried look. He smiled reassuringly. "I think that's enough for today." She nodded in agreement but still looked worried.

"Then let's be about the business of preparing the city for some stormy weather."

* * *

As he left the Council chamber, Moondance looked up to see the dour mage Thyer walking toward him.

"Ah there you are, mage," Thyer greeted him, though Moondance wondered if such could be considered a greeting at all. "I wanted to make sure you were recovered from yesterday." He eyed Moondance almost mechanically and, seeing no visible signs of disturbance, nodded briskly. "Good. Can't bring you here and then have you useless." He turned and walked away as briskly, hailing a dark-haired figure who was walking toward them.

Moondance raised an eyebrow at the man's back, wondering if he should be offended or amused. In the end, stroking Kesuki's feathers as he made his way to where he was to meet with a new friend, he felt a bit confused- that this off-putting man should be the Star Eyed's chosen- as well as saddened- that the dark events he had previously mentioned had caused him withdraw from others in such a manner.

But there were potentially life-shattering things happening in Moondance's life as well, and his thoughts were somber as he made his way through the city. Whatever happened with this situation, he hoped that he managed to keep true to the spirit of himself and what his _ashke_ would have wanted- not for him to become so immured in grief that he drew away from the world. Kesuki chirred softly in his ear as he walked, but even the bird's comfort had a solemn air to it.

* * *

"Bright the day, honored visitor." Autumnsea, Sunwolf's wife, bowed her head to Firesong and smiled at him, welcoming him to their home, her young daughter peering out from behind a fistful of her mother's tunic, fascinated by the visitor.

Firesong nodded in reply as he followed Nightsinger into the stone dwelling, still wondering how he'd ended up here.

It had been Nightsinger of course, lingering outside the council room, as they had all left that wonderfully disheartening meeting. The man hadn't even looked at him, simply been standing there looking out toward the sea, and Firesong had found his feet leading him toward Nightsinger without conscious thought. It was disconcerting; usually Firesong was the one that people gravitated toward.

Nightsinger had smiled at him, the expression so familiar and inviting that it made Firesong ache. "And how does the day treat you, visitor to our city?"

"Not well, I fear," Firesong had replied. There was a war inside of him, the thrill of new lust combating with the comfort of a familiar partner, and he wasn't sure which, if either truly, fit Nightsinger better.

"That is sad to hear!" Nightsinger had exclaimed. "Come, let me remedy our city's poor hospitality."

"Your father has invited me to visit your home," Firesong had observed.

"Excellent," Nightsinger had said, face lighting up with a smile. And Sunwolf had followed them, their destination being the same, but had not attempted to interrupt the pair as they made their way through the city to his front door.

It wasn't, thought Firesong, just that Nightsinger was Silverfox when there was no Silverfox- he was everything Firesong desired in a partner: attractive, quietly intelligent, passionate... 

Firesong frowned suddenly, shaking himself out of his reverie, wondering how he felt that he knew so much about the man when they had just met and barely exchanged words. His fingers closed over Need's hilt and he felt her quiet readiness in the back of his mind.

_:You're right,: _she murmured, intrigued. _:There is something distinctly odd going on, but it's not coming from him.:_ He felt her mental focus sharpen toward Nightsinger as Firesong followed the man through the house.

He managed to pull his thoughts away from the young man long enough to look around the interior of the dwelling with a sense of wonder. The architecture was like nothing he had ever seen. The way the home was shaped out of the rock itself and carved with such an amazing precision- in some ways it echoed aspects of the rooms they had found at the Tower, but the feel of the home was different. This was a place where people lived, it was not yet filled with the ghosts of ages. The furnishings were unsettling in the way they echoed things he knew while also being completely and irrevocably unfamiliar. He let his fingers trace the grain of the wood in the piece closest to him and he thought the feel of deep age was more something he projected onto the object than anything it carried with it. It was not old yet.

"Firesong," Nightsinger called, and Firesong snatched his hand back as if burned. "Come on out here," Nightsinger beckoned and Firesong followed him out to a narrow, covered stone porch that ran the length of the home's side wall. The younger man reclined on the long bench against the inner wall of the porch, his eyes on Firesong as the mage went to the outer half-wall. Aya landed gracefully on the wall and Firesong leaned on it as he looked out over the city spread below him. Seeing it made shivers run over his skin; a place lost to time, yet here it was- here _he_ was. He tried to pull his mind from the enormity of it, the impossibility of it, but turning his attention to his host was no help.

Nightsinger was watching him carefully. "Father told me that I look like someone you know," he said finally. "That's what your conversation was about when I went looking for him at the meeting this morning." He waved his fingers dismissively, as if that was not what concerned him about what had happened this morning. His eyes flashed. "He said you are from the future. Most of the city has not been told all of the details, but he told me how the Goddess called you here."

Firesong's eyes narrowed. "Your father is free with information," he observed.

He had maintained a distance from the younger man, but Nightsinger came to the rail and stood beside him. "Nothing he told me surprised me," Nightsinger admitted. "I think I knew you were coming here before you did." He turned his gaze from the vista to rest his eyes on Firesong.

Firesong met those eyes, the other man's face so close, his lips parted slightly. "Did you?" he murmured in answer. Silverfox's eyes were so blue... Firesong dug fingernails into his palm. Silverfox was not here. But Nightsinger also had lovely blue eyes.

Nightsinger smiled seductively and leaned back, Firesong unconsciously leaning toward him as the younger man retreated to the couch and picked up a stringed instrument that had been lying there. "Are you familiar with the concept of _loriganalea_? The bonding of souls across lifetimes?" His fingers skimmed over the instrument, plucking notes from it that shivered down to Firesong's soul. 

Or perhaps it was more than the notes. He allowed the shiver and affected a sardonic smile. "A few months ago I spent a great deal of time thinking on just that subject."

"Ah." The younger man's long fingers danced over the instrument. "Then it would not surprise you if I said I felt we are connected?"

Firesong stared at him, fighting the desire to go and sit beside the other man. "I would be surprised if you did not." He nodded to the instrument, in a too obvious attempt to change the direction of the conversation. "What is that?"

Nightsinger smirked. "It is an instrument of the Haighlei, but that does not interest you." 

"Perceptive," Firesong conceded. "Play something." Firesong took Aya in his arms to give his hands something to hold. The musician smiled and did as bidden.

Firesong listened, caught up in the music. Nightsinger was gifted with it, that was a certainty, and as he listened to the haunting notes he tried not to think about other uses for those long fingers.

When the song came to an end, he realized that he had moved to sit on the bench, Aya shifting to his shoulder. He could feel Nightsinger's eyes upon him. "Firesong," the younger man said.

Firesong shivered. He stood suddenly, Aya squawking in alarm. "I must go. I-" He glanced at Nightsinger. "It was good to meet you." He turned and fled the balcony, making his way hurriedly back through the house. He met Sunwolf in the entryway, but before he could say anything his host stopped him with an understanding nod and a reassuring squeeze of the shoulder. Firesong nodded back, then fled the house as well.

* * *

Firesong walked down the street, lost deep in his thoughts. He felt Need on the edge of his mind, but she let him wander a long while before she interrupted.

_:Watch out for him boy.: _

He frowned at her words. Glancing up, he saw no reason for her warning and assumed she was addressing the mess they had left behind. _:For Nightsinger?:_

_:Well, I meant Sunwolf mostly. He's a crafty one. He knows more than what he's telling. There's something odd about Nightsinger; I don't think the kid's fully aware of it but you're right- there's a reason he looks like Silverfox.: _She hesitated but continued. _:It's not lifebonding, but there is something connecting you to him. Don't let either of them play with your heart, boy.:_

He knew she meant to be consolatory, but he had to fight the urge to lash out at her. She was right, that he should be wary. Damn her, she was right far too often. _If_ there was a traitor, Sunwolf was as much a candidate as anyone else, perhaps more so. As much so as even Amberdrake or Skandranon... though something in his balked at even entertaining such thoughts.

_:I'll agree it's probably not any of the original Council members,:_ Need said. _:They've had plenty of opportunities to wreak havoc before this if they wanted to.:_

Firesong shook his head. _:You certainly are encouraging to talk to. I suppose everything we think we know about them is moot.: _

_:Yes and no. Don't try to put what you think you know on them without letting them prove it first.: _

He snorted. _:So who's _your_ primary suspect, oh wise one?: _

_:Any of the three mages could be it. Of course, that assumes we're limiting the possibilities to those who were in the Council this morning.: _She hesitated. _:Firesong, it could be Moondance or Darian.:_

He stopped walking. Moondance? No, that pain could not be faked and would not be endured voluntarily for any reason. Darian? He narrowed his eyes. Firesong really did not like the man- he had the uncanny knack of echoing Need's advice, particularly when she was at her most annoying- but that didn't mean he was evil. _:I don't think so Need.: _

_:Why not?: _

"Firesong."

He started as a hand clamped down on his shoulder. Aya turned and mantled at the owner of the hand, hissing loudly, but Firesong put his own hand on the firebird, calming him. He turned to level a glare at Darian. _If my thoughts could summon people... why has it started to work only_ now_? First Skandranon sticking his beak in our affairs exactly like I'd been sure _wouldn't _happen, and now this Darian._ This was something he was not looking forward to dealing with now, on top of everything that had already happened today. "What are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing." Darian glanced at him inquisitively before looking up at the sky. Firesong noticed that it was dark, and clouds roiled across the expanse. He also noticed, with a surprised shiver, that it had gotten cold. "There's a storm coming in, a physical one to match the magical. Where were you headed?" Darian asked, curious.

Firesong shrugged impatiently. "Nowhere." He frowned as a raindrop struck his cheek. Well, one thing sure hadn't changed; magical disturbances still played havoc with the weather. It was an oddly comforting thing to notice, with all that was different, that the elements still reacted the same to the same events.

"Come on."

He looked over to see that Darian had ducked into a doorway, out of the weather.

Still somewhat preoccupied, Firesong followed, only to find himself in a warehouse. As the rain outside turned into a deluge, Aya winged over to perch on a box, shaking his feathers disdainfully. "Oh lovely." Firesong's lip curled as he ran one finger through the sawdust on top of a pile of boxes. "You have chosen magnificent accommodations Dar'ian."

Darian surprised him by breaking out in laughter. Firesong's eyes narrowed. Darian held up a hand placatingly as he smiled. "No offense meant, but for me it is… interesting to see that the reputation you once had was not completely undeserved."

"And just what do you mean by _that_?" Firesong glared at him outright, Aya starting to hiss again. "Who _are_ you?" he shouted at the other mage, frustration and weariness making him forget that he'd promised himself he didn't care about the infuriating man, or where he came from, or how he knew so damn much about Firesong.

Darian sobered. He was quiet a moment as he looked at Firesong, his eyes seeming to drink in the details of his face. "I... You are my teacher," He said simply. "You taught me magecraft."

Firesong stared at him. He'd never really thought about it before, but it made sense. Why hadn't he thought about it before? Slowly, he sat down on the box and took his head in his hands. "I-" He took a deep breath and looked up. "You said before you were from the future- what is the future to me." He paused again, his gaze distant as his lip curled with thoughtful chagrin. "I suppose I never thought to ask how everything turned out with the storms." His eyes returned to Darian. "Karal, does he-" He stood up abruptly. "No. I don't want to know." He started pacing. "His is the most dangerous job. The last time, he... But without him we don't have a chance." He stopped, staring off into the distance again. "I couldn't tell him to do it if I knew he was going to die." He laughed suddenly, a harsh, bitter sound. "Assuming of course we ever get back."

"He doesn't die." Darian's voice was so soft that Firesong wasn't sure he'd heard him. He turned around to face the other mage only to find the strangest expression on Darian's face. "Karal doesn't die," he said, more clearly, then he turned and punched his hand into one of the boxes near him, cracking the boards. Aya cried out in alarm, but Firesong could only stare at the other mage. "It's you, dammit!" Darian said suddenly, emotion choking his voice. "It's you, but I can't say... I..." He whirled around to face Firesong. "Need, the damn sword explodes in your hand, okay? That's what happens! That's why every time I look at you I can't..." He choked on his words again but forced the rest of it out. "The sword explodes, and it destroys your face."

Firesong stared at him. Slowly his legs went out from under him and he sank to the floor, just missing the edge of the box he had been sitting on before. His hands went to his face and for a long time there was only the sound of the rain.

"You never said you regretted it." Darian's voice was soft. "But I can't help but think... after all you've given me, if I could prevent that pain, take it away from you, wouldn't I? Wouldn't I at least try?"

Firesong remained silent, his face half hidden behind his hands. Goddess... first the mess with Nightsinger and now _this_. His face... Yes, he was beautiful, and he knew it, and dammit why _shouldn't_ he be proud of it? If that was the cost of halting the mage storms, then couldn't someone else do it? An abstract part of his mind seemed determined to point out that such a wound was hardly mortal, while another part seemed determined to argue that this entire conversation was pointless, since there was no way he could get to the Tower from where he was anyway, or at least not in the right time to be of any help.

That last thought stood out the most, and Firesong clung to it to pull him out of the swirling mess that was his mind. He probably wasn't ever going to get back there, so what did it matter? And while this brought him some comfort, it also left a gaping emptiness inside of him.

"Firesong?" He heard Darian's voice, soft and concerned.

"Dar'ian," he replied just as softly, trying to keep the despair from his voice as he looked up. "Tell me something that I taught you."

Darian smiled softly. "You taught me-" He paused suddenly, as if something caught his attention; some small thing that he had been trying to remember. And then that something slammed into them, a wild disorientation that Firesong remembered having felt before. He felt as if he was falling, as if he was being shaken from side to side by a giant dog, as if the world was trying to cram itself inside his skull... And then, just as suddenly, it was gone.

Firesong gasped, raising a hand weakly to rub his face, attempting to ascertain that both were still attached to the same person. He'd forgotten... Their conversation had made his forget their immediate surroundings, or at least the fact that there was a mage storm due. The city had shields, but in the distant portion Firesong and Darian had wandered into, where there was little more to protect than buildings and supplies- nothing living- the shields were not as reinforced as they were closer to the center of the city. Firesong sensed an unfamiliar magical aura and glanced up to see Darian standing near him, looking down at him in concern. Firesong's eyes narrowed; was it Darian he sensed?

"I've supplemented the shields," Darian said, confirming Firesong's thought. "Are you alright?"

Firesong nodded dismissingly. "Nothing I haven't been through before, though it felt stronger than the last one." His lip curled sardonically. "At least I was already sitting down this time." Darian raised his eyebrow questioningly, and Firesong felt immensely _pleased_ that the story of the first mage storm he had encountered was something about himself that this stranger, who seemed to know everything, did_ not_ know. But there was something else pressing on his mind as well. "You reinforced the shielding on this building?" he said, repeating what Darian had just said, completely unable to hide how impressed he was. To be able to remain focused enough while suffering from the debilitating effects of the mage storm to cast shields was very impressive indeed.

Darian grinned and shrugged. "I have a very demanding teacher, who's been through a lot and who seems to take a particular pleasure in forcing me to work through adverse conditions."

It felt like a long time passed in which they simply stared at each other, wondering. Firesong had never been one overly given to thinking about the future. The present was well enough- and it was usually very good indeed. But now, as he really _looked_ at Darian for the first time, he felt a strange feeling overtake him. A feeling of looking at a future he could never have imagined, and was more than certain he didn't want, and finding himself eager to be a part of it. They sat for a while, as the storm blew itself out around them.


	6. Wreckage

Moondance looked out through the growing darkness at the water of the bay, whipped up into a fury by the wind that battered it. The wind pulled at him, too, slamming into the hard wall of rock that mostly sheltered the doorway where he stood, and Moondance ducked back into the cave, pulling the door shut behind him. There were disadvantages to living in a home like this, but the view was incredible. Not to mention the several other amenities that appealed to the cavern's occupants, which was why they had selected it for their home. "The wind is bad," Moondance told Zhaneel as the sleek gryphon entered from one of the back rooms. "He probably got caught in some final conference and is waiting it out now." The mage grinned as he watched Kesuki playing with the gryphon twins, though the falcon's hissing didn't sound at all playful.

Zhaneel sighed, reaching a taloned paw distractedly over to pry her eldest away from the bondbird. "That sounds like him. Though I almost wouldn't put it past that birdbrain to try and make it home through this."

"Let us pray that his common sense wins out this night."

She snorted. "Common sense? These two have more between them than that bird ever did." She bent her head to groom her younger son, holding the protesting bundle firmly in her paws as she did so. Moondance came over to her and touched her shoulder. He had become fast friends with this brave and exceptional gryphon in his short time here, and her moods were easy to read. Looking up at him, she sighed and released young Keenath. "Yes, I'm nervous," she admitted without preamble. "Not just that my featherbrained mate will try to fly home in this mess, but that…” She trailed off, her eyes desperate as they rested on her children.

"That the world is ending before it begins, and all that you and your friends, fought, bled, and died for will become nothing," Moondance finished, stroking her ear tufts soothingly. She turned to look at him, nodding silently. He sighed. "I cannot tell you the future," he admitted as he leaned against her, both gaining strength from the contact. "For all that your future is where I am from, I fear I will return to find it irrevocably changed. I fear-" He stopped, and this time it was Zhaneel's turn to spread her wing over him comfortingly.

"We both fear the same thing," she murmured softly, her voice almost lost in the romping of the twins, Tadrith letting out a particularly loud squall as Kesuki bit his tail. The falcon keened in victory, but hurriedly took to the air to make his escape as the twins regrouped to come after him. Landing on Moondance's shoulder, he mantled and hissed threateningly at the pair.

Moondance placed a calming hand on the falcon. _:Tired of your playmates already Kesuki? It looked like you were having such fun.:_

_:Keh.:_ The falcon made a gagging noise, expressing his opinion of loud children, and Moondance couldn't help but smile.

Zhaneel chuckled. "Kesuki you should stick around. I can leave the twins with you and go out flying again."

Kesuki shot her a look of raptorial horror and looked as if he was about to fly out the window and never come back. Moondance chuckled as well. _:Keh.:_ Kesuki shot him a withering look. _:Moondance _not _funny.:_

The twins watched this interchange with blinking eyes, which soon began to reopen much more slowly than they shut. Zhaneel rose. "Alright, time for bed," she said quietly as she shooed them gently into their room. They went reluctantly, but an especially loud gust of wind and a crack of thunder from outside sent them scampering back toward their mother with indignant squeals. She sighed resignedly; interpreting this sound as the permission it was, the young gryphons cried out happily and scampered to where their parent's nest was.

Zhaneel dimmed the magelights in the main room before she glanced over at her guest. Moondance was seated against one wall, staring off into nothing while Kesuki perched on his knee and peered up at him worriedly. "Moondance," she called, and he looked up, surprised, as if he'd forgotten she was there. "It will get cold by the door," she said softly.

Moondance glanced over at the portal she referred to and noted his proximity to the raging wind outside. "I will be alright." Kesuki shifted to his shoulder and crouched against his neck, crooning softly.

Zhaneel paused, then went over to him. She lowered her head to touch his shoulder. His hands came up automatically to stroke through the feathers that covered her face. "Come inside with us."

He started. "What?"

She pulled back. "I'll not have my guests freezing by the front door," she said, her tone commanding. "Come."

He smiled up at her softly. "As you wish, my lady." Rising, he followed her into the side room where her and Skandranon's nest was. The twins were already there, collapsed in a heap of feathers that only twitched and sighed once to acknowledge their mother's presence before drifting off into complete oblivion.

Zhaneel curled up near her children, spreading one wing over them, beckoning to Moondance with the other. He slipped in underneath the wing and curled against her side, grinning softly and sighing as he leaned against her warmer body. "Thank you," he murmured.

"The twins are not the only ones who don't want to be alone this night," she replied. Kesuki, perched near the edge of the nest and about to tuck his beak under a wing, stopped to turn and hiss at the gryphon that Moondance was not alone. "True enough," she allowed magnanimously. "But I am larger than you, and if you annoy me any further, I will inhale you."

Moondance smothered a laugh and, with an indignant peep, Kesuki tucked his head firmly under his wing and fell asleep.

* * *

The morning sun was bright in the clear sky as Firesong turned his face up to it and felt the warmth fall on his skin. He shivered slightly, then turned back to the room and the conversation he'd been having.

Snowstar frowned in concentration as he looked down at the topmost of a pile of papers on the table, notes in his own cramped hand and Firesong's sprawl spattered across it. "I don't see how that can be. It's not possible. Opening a temporal rift requires a great deal of psychic energy. We were only barely able to do it with Kechara's help, and there was barely enough energy leftover to keep the city's shields holding through the storm. With magic levels the way they are, and with the unpredictability higher than the availability, there's no way-"

"But Krawlven does not care what happens to others because of his magic working," Firesong interrupted him, flicking his hair back over his shoulder as he stepped closer to the table. "Perhaps he even promised a rival great reward if he could accomplish the task and then slew the man after he had tried." He looked thoughtful. "If the attempt hadn't already killed him. The unpredictability of magic is not a factor. The unavailability is however.” He paused. “Assuming Krawlven has not found a way around that as well."

Snowstar sighed. "We have to assume that he has. Though, of course this also assumes that what Hakeri overheard is correct and not just speculation on the part of men pretending to be important." The older mage ran his hands through his hair in weariness and frustration. The pair had been closeted almost all morning discussing the issue. Actually, early this morning, after the storm had passed and the sun risen, Snowstar had appropriated the empty room in order to have a quiet place to think through the many thoughts that would not align themselves in his mind when Firesong had appeared. He had looked slightly harried and as if he had not slept well, but Snowstar welcomed whatever insight the other mage could offer. Some of his ideas had been almost fantastical initially, but further scrutiny revealed their viability and truth.

Firesong leaned on the table, staring down at the pile of scribbled notes. "I can think of one way he acquired access to great stores of magic," he said hesitantly, one hand drifting over his shoulder to tap hesitantly on the hilt of the sword he wore.

Snowstar raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Firesong stared down at the table. "It requires that I tell you something, something others have decided that it would be better not to discuss." He tapped the hilt of the sword with one finger. "I agreed not to tell anyone, though I didn't seriously think the information would have any relevance until just now." He looked up and met Snowstar's eyes fiercely. "I would tell you now, but it would be better if this information was not widely known.”

Snowstar met his eyes. "I can promise that whatever you reveal to me I will tell to no other, if that is your wish, unless I feel that knowledge of the information would benefit this city, in which case I would tell another member of the Council and trust to their judgment."

Firesong nodded, folding his arms across his chest. "Fair enough," he murmured. "Ma'ar did not die in the Cataclysm," he said. "He discovered a way to escape his body and hide in the void between Gates."

Snowstar didn't think to doubt such information; his eyes widened, and he drew in his breath sharply. "Ma'ar is still…" he started, voice demanding, but Firesong held up a hand to quiet him.

"No, I took care of him. Though," he frowned, "I suppose the answer is yes, since in this time he still exists."

Snowstar looked at him thoughtfully. "And you think this Krawlven is Ma'ar?"

"No," Firesong said. "I know it. That he used that name in one of his lives I learned from An'desha, who bore the demon's presence in his body." Moving back to the previous subject, Firesong observed, "The void is an excellent place to obtain magic- if you can control it. And though it is wild, it's more predictable than what Krawlven could find here, in this time and place."

Snowstar frowned, his eyes narrowing as he pieced together several stray pieces of information, drawn by something other than where Krawlven was getting his energy. "So, then it is his death by your hands that he has foreseen, if Hakeri's source knew what he was talking about."

Firesong dropped into a chair and drummed his fingers on the table in annoyance. "That is part of what doesn't make sense. I already killed him. In my time that is. There's no way to alter that by bringing me here, or by killing me here if it comes to that."

"But he didn't bring you here; we did." Snowstar started pacing again. "That cannot be his goal. And yet-” He paused. “Can it not be ours?” He looked sidelong at Firesong.

Firesong narrowed his eyes at the other mage. “You mean for me to destroy him, utterly, now as opposed to in the future?” He mulled the thought over. “It would change the course of history,” he said, voice soft. If Ma'ar died now, Leareth would never kill Vanyel, Falconsbane would never torture An'desha. Countless lives that Ma'ar had tossed aside carelessly would be saved. But, if he himself wasn't pushed by Falconsbane, would he become strong enough to stop the Cataclysm, as Darian claimed he would? If Leareth's systematic destruction of the Herald Mages hadn't led to Elspeth's search for the Tayledras, then Firesong would never encounter Need- never hold the sword as the magic energy filling it exploded.

Snowstar was watching him and Firesong raised his eyes to the other mage. He tried to muster a smile but failed. “It is a heavy responsibility,” Snowstar said. “For different does not always mean better. I'm sorry; we were the ones who placed this before you.”

Firesong shook his head. “If I can't get close to him, it won't matter. So, until then we will consider it moot.”

Snowstar nodded and changed the subject. “This traitor Krawlven claims to have- he must have some reliable means of contacting this person."

"That is a valid assumption," a new voice said, and Snowstar looked up to see Darian standing in the doorway looking in. Snowstar motioned him in.

Firesong frowned before letting his lip curl sardonically as Darian stepped closer to the table to glance down at the notes scattered across it. "I told him about Ma'ar," he said without preamble, Darian glancing up in surprise as Firesong continued, "I agreed with your theory initially, because I did not see how the information could be useful. However, that has changed."

"I believe," Snowstar interjected, "Krawlven is pulling energy from the void between gates, possibly through an intermediary, or several. This vast store of magical energy allowed him to create an abortive temporal portal. This portal collapsed in on itself, which expulsion of magic triggered our second cataclysm and created a temporal rift, which is what made it possible for us to bring you here."

"Wait," Darian frowned in confusion, "How do you know all that? And why weren't we told before?"

Snowstar sighed. "It was obvious to me from the start. I could feel a change, a shift in the magical energy around me. However, I lacked the… vocabulary, let us say, to explain it in a way that made any sense to anyone not of a certain level of mage training. Firesong was courteous enough to help me put words to what I was feeling."

"No one else could feel it?" Darian reached out to touch a paper on the table, not looking at Firesong.

"No one who could explain it any better than I could. It was a subtle shift- it would probably require an especial sensitivity to the currents of magical energy that most mages do not develop."

"So, do we know why Krawlven was trying to create a temporal portal? Or was his goal all along to trigger a cataclysm?"

"Hakeri overheard that Krawlven foresaw his death and was attempting to prevent it," Firesong reminded Darian, voice quiet. "I would imagine that was why he was creating a temporal gate."

"And when it didn't work, he quickly seized on something else to do with all the energy he had unleashed." Darian frowned as he moved some pages aside and looked over a map. "We need more information."

Snowstar frowned. "I wish his camp was not so far away," he murmured, waving off the raised eyebrows the other two mages greeted that statement with. "Well, I wish we could scout his camp more easily. I hate sending patrols out there and being unable to assist them by ground."

Darian stared at the map thoughtfully. "I know." He hesitated a moment before adding contemplatively, "I might know a way to fix that." Firesong and Snowstar both turned to look at him.

"And why have you not mentioned it before?" Firesong demanded.

Darian met his eyes for the first time since entering the room. Firesong looked away. "Because I am not sure it will work. Rather I'm almost certain it _won't_ work. And sometimes I forget that-" He paused but continued softly, "That you don't remember everything that I think you do."

Snowstar felt the tension between the two thicken noticeably, and the words he had himself only just spoken to Firesong weighed heavily on top of that. "Well," he said, perhaps too loudly, "I think we've been in here too long. Time for some fresh air and food. And we'll talk more later."

Firesong nodded curtly before rising from his seat and leaving. Darian looked after him for a moment before nodding to Snowstar and leaving in a different direction.

* * *

Skandranon looked out over the lower city from the roof of the Council building, the late morning sun warm on his back and the futuristic mage Moondance standing beside him. "I trust you spent the night well."

Moondance grinned mischievously. "As well as _you_ usually do, old bird."

Skan narrowed his eyes at the man for a moment, then snorted. "I can assure you human, I usually spend them _far_ better than _either_ of us spent last night." He arched his neck, his crest rising, the light wind toying with the feathers. Moondance laughed outright, slapping Skan's shoulder good-naturedly. Hearing a noise behind him, Skandranon turned to see Amberdrake climbing the stairs.

“There you are,” Drake said. “Another scout group has just returned. The council will be meeting late this afternoon.”

“Council,” Moondance mused, “meeting indeed.”

“Are you thinking about this spy?”

“Assuming he is as highly placed as the scout's information suggests, we could be giving him all of the information we have.”

Amberdrake shrugged helplessly. “There isn't anything we can do about that. If the Council allows the threat of this to sway them into hiding, it is worse than letting him have the information.”

Moondance nodded. “I know.”

Skan ground his beak. “The very idea of someone who has taken the protection of White Gryphon and still betrays us in this fashion is almost unthinkable. I know we get some bad apples in the city- some really bad apples- but it hurts me, to think that someone I know is so misguided as to be helping Krawlven destroy the very fabric of the world.”

Amberdrake nodded in sympathy. “The Kaled'a'in are a group set apart by the Star-Eyed. It is hard to imagine her allowing such a thing.”

Moondance shrugged. “She allows us to find our own way. Among the Tayledras it is rare that anyone should be so irredeemable. But I myself was not born to the Tayledras, only called to them later in my life. Who can say if it doesn't occasionally happen the other way?”

Drake nodded significantly. “We've had a couple of instances.”

Skan ground his beak in annoyance. “This bastard is as slippery as Ma'ar.”

Amberdrake turned to Skandranon, glancing sidelong at Moondance before he spoke. "Skan." He stopped, unsure as to how to continue. "About Ma'ar."

"Ma'ar was not destroyed in the Cataclysm." Moondance turned away from the city to look at the man and the slack-jawed gryphon watching him. "At least if Firesong is to be believed." He shook long hair back over his shoulders and added more softly, "I do not doubt him."

"But!” Skandranon turned his incredulous gaze on Amberdrake who could only look at him with sympathy. "I- I saw him! He stabbed himself in the chest! He couldn't have survived."

Moondance shook his head. "His body did not, but his soul did."

Skan sat down, abruptly, his mouth still gaping open. "I can't-" He shook himself, as if to shake off the words being spoken to him.

"Skan." Drake took him by the beak, raising his face. "This knowledge does not in any way diminish what you did! You rid us of him. We wouldn't have made it if he had still been hunting us."

Skan shook himself again. "But he is back now," he said grimly. "He hunts us yet again." Eyes hard, he met Moondance's gaze.

"I suppose that is why we are here to help," the mage said quietly.

The gryphon sighed, his anger at Ma'ar's return changing to chagrin. "Even if you are mistaken, it matters little; whoever this Krawlven is, he still wants us dead. Help, particularly that of a higher order, is welcome," he said grudgingly, glancing upward as if he might see the Star-Eyed watching over them.

* * *

Darian started down the hallway moodily, frowning as he thought about what he had been discussing with Snowstar and Firesong, whether what he knew about long distance transportation spells would work here, and what Firesong was thinking. He wanted to talk more with Firesong, particularly about the technique the man- or a future version of him- had worked with Darian to lay the groundwork for, but Firesong was obviously not in the mood to talk, especially not to Darian.

Having decided that he should make sure Kuari was being taken care of, Darian was chatting mentally with his bird and not really paying attention to where he was going when he passed by a room and heard voices inside. He paused, listening for Arek since he wanted to ask the other mage where a good place would be to take Kuari hunting later on, but was disappointed when he identified the voices of the other two mages instead of the one he was looking for.

"The Council should be informed immediately," Thyer was saying. From where he stood, Darian could see the man pacing up and down the length of a large window.

Sunwolf was watching him, his long hair whispering as it moved, his head following the movements of his fellow mage. "I would caution that you attempt to better understand your source before presenting the information to the Council," he said. His voice was amused but Darian could not see the mage's face from where he stood.

"Understand?" Thyer stopped, turning to face Sunwolf. "What is to understand? We're flailing around in the dark; the exalted Council is not doing much better! And your counsel is that I should wait before presenting possibly integral information?"

"Premature action could focus attention in the wrong direction." Sunwolf's voice was no longer amused. "I advise that you wait. And if that was all you wished to discuss with me, I must be leaving." He looked significantly at Thyer. "The Council is meeting later this day." He turned to leave the room and Darian ducked back as the Kaled'a'in swept past him, followed by Thyer moving with a determined stride.

Darian resumed his previous pace, walking slowly as he ran through in his head the conversation he had overheard. It was suspicious, and as loathe as he was to admit that there was a spy as rumored, and that there was a possibility it was one of the mages, this was a case where being suspicious had more advantages than blind faith.

He found Jewel and Kuari in his rooms, the _hertasi_ stroking fingers through the huge bird's feathers obviously having just fed the owl. He smiled at her. "Have you seen Arek?" he asked.

Jewel tilted her head to the side as she thought. "No, Darian. Not today. I will tell the others you are looking for him if you like."

"Thank you, that would be helpful." He paused, thinking. "Though I suppose he will be at the meeting later and I can talk to him then. I was also wondering where a good place for me would be to take Kuari hunting later on tonight, and that's a question I'm sure you can answer for me better. I need to keep my tracking skills fresh as much as he does, and it would be beneficial to get to know this world a little better."

Jewel nodded approvingly. "Up on the top of the cliff would be a good place. The land is not cultivated yet and it has open areas as well as forest."

"Excellent.” Darian soothed a hand over Kuari's feathers, the owl looking up at him with anticipation. "We'll hunt there tonight." Kuari _hurred_ in contented agreement.

* * *

It was afternoon when Firesong, still unable to calm his mind enough to rest from yesterday's revelations, found himself again in the garden where Sunwolf had first taken him two days ago. Was this only the end of third day he had been in this place? It felt immeasurably longer. And three days may be all the world had left, back on the other end of things- the other end of time. Was three days here the same as three days there, or did time move differently? He shook his head angrily, trying to rid himself of this unproductive wondering. It wasn't as if he was really in a hurry to go back there, to the fate that Darian said waited for him. Not that the situation here was shaping up to be any better.

"Firesong?"

The mage looked up at the sound of his name, shivers running over his skin. "Nightsinger," he returned flatly- or so he hoped; his voice was not entirely under his control.

The man slipped out of the shadows to stand near Firesong in the dappled sunlight under the tall trees. “I was worried about you, after you left so abruptly yesterday,” he said.

Firesong shrugged. Both of them watched Aya as the firebird perched on a nearby tree and cleaned his shimmering feathers. There was silence for a while and Firesong was glad for it. All too soon he felt Nightsinger stirring, but rather than speaking the young man leaned a bit closer to Firesong, their hands brushing.

Firesong closed his eyes. He was tired and lonely and Nightsinger was very attractive. True there was something strange going on with the young man, but why shouldn't he take this comfort, freely offered? He sighed as Nightsinger's arm slid around his body. "I am sorry, I cannot," he said, but did not move away.

“Why?” Nightsinger asked innocently, leaning in closer to catch strands of the mage's hair between his fingers. “I know you want this connection as much as I. Is it that I am from another time? Perhaps we were meant to meet like this, drawn out of time to be together.”

Need was silent in his mind, and Firesong sighed again. “No,” he said clearly. “I... it would be wrong of me to accept, and not for any of the reasons you could think of.”

Nightsinger stepped back. “Then for what reason?”

“Because, as pleasurable as I'm sure it would be, my heart is already elsewhere. It is trapped in a tower with a small group of people fighting to save the world from destruction. It is... unwilling, to see anything beyond that.”

“No.” Nightsinger narrowed his eyes in appraisal. “That is not the reason. It is the man, the one I resemble. He is the reason you refuse.”

Firesong shook his head but wrapped his arms around himself as if already missing the warmth of Nightsinger standing close to him. “We have not made promises such that he would begrudge me any comfort I could find here.” Which was true, though Firesong also felt himself strangely bound by Darian's promises of a future he had not yet shared with Silverfox. “It is not fair to you. Should we go further my mind will be with him, and my heart is already in that place. There is little left to be here with you.”

Nightsinger touched his shoulder. “I understand. I do. But even as you were drawn here in body, there will be a time when your heart and mind will be drawn to this time as well.” He stepped close again and kissed Firesong's cheek.

Firesong felt a rush of warmth fill him at the touch of the young man's lips and he leaned into Nightsinger's presence, turning toward him in search of more. This was what he'd wanted, this warmth, and the familiarity of these lips he knew so well, and the familiar touch of the _kestra'chern's_ strong hands...

It was the constant insisting that Silverfox was _here_ when it was something that could not be so that made Firesong aware, suddenly, of being influenced. He pushed away from the arm that held him close and reached over his shoulder to touch Need's hilt, seeking a way to center himself.

_:I've got you, boy.:_ He felt her steady him; he grounded himself mentally as he examined what had just happened. _:It was the same as what happened when you were at his home,:_ Need affirmed. Firesong opened his eyes to narrow them suspiciously at Nightsinger. _:If this is something that is coming from Nightsinger, it's subconscious,:_ Need reminded him. _:I was watching him pretty intently through all that. He honestly feels what he thinks he feels.:_

And indeed, Nightsinger looked startled by Firesong's reaction. “Firesong?” he asked, uncertainly. “Is something wrong?”

Firesong held his pose for a moment longer, breathing deeply as he focused on staying centered in his own head. “Something is wrong,” he confirmed. “Though I am not yet sure what it is.” He released Need, arms falling to his side. Nightsinger immediately reached to take his hand and Firesong stepped back, eyes narrowing.

“I must go.” He evaded Nightsinger's hand again. “I'm sorry.”

Nightsinger's expression revealed both frustration and hurt, but he folded his arms and nodded shortly.

“What is going on here?” Thyer stepped into the garden. He glared at Firesong.

“It is nothing, Uncle,” Nightsinger assured him, but his posture easily said otherwise.

Firesong rolled his eyes as Thyer's marked, and almost paternal, disapproval. “I wasn't aware you were related,” he said conversationally.

Thyer shook his head, a muscle tightening in his jaw. “My daughter was married to his brother.” He turned toward Firesong. “The council meeting begins soon. I was bade summon you.” Turning on his heels he left.

_:Well, that was certainly a way to end this disaster of an encounter.:_

Firesong had to cover his face with his hand to keep his reaction to Need's comment from showing. Drawing in a deep breath he sighed.

Nightsinger mistook the reason for his reaction and explained, “Aylianna, his daughter, and my brother Starstream, they died on the way to White Gryphon, before the city was founded. I barely remember them. Thyer had no one else and my father has always treated him as a brother. I'm sorry for his behavior.”

“He doesn't like me.” Firesong grinned. “Don't worry, dealing with disapproving relations is something I've had a great deal of experience with.” With a softer sigh he stepped forward and cupped Nightsinger's cheek. “Nightsinger, please. You are a remarkable young man with many options available to you. Do not pursue me.” With that, he turned and left as well.

* * *

"Arek!" Darian, on his way into the Council meeting, saw the mage ahead of him and called out his name. Arek turned to him, a smile of greeting displacing the worried look that was settled heavily over his features.

"Darian," he greeted, his manner as eager to please as ever, but Darian sensed that something was bothering him deeply.

"Are you alright?" Darian rested a hand on the other mage's shoulder, oblivious to the people moving about them, some of them entering the Council chamber while others lingered outside or moved off on other business.

"I-" glancing around him, Arek lowered his voice. "No, I'm not, Darian. I-" He hesitated again, and Darian urged him aside to a secluded corner since he seemed wary of being overheard. "I had another vision," Arek burst out. "Like the ones I had before we brought you here. It… Darian it was very bad." Shaking with the aftereffects of the vision, he looked around himself hopelessly. "I think Hakeri was right. There is a traitor in the Council."

Darian gripped the other mage's arm harder than he intended, eliciting a small sound of protest. Releasing Arek, Darian leaned down to whisper in his ear. "Tell me about your vision. Quickly.” 

Arek nodded. “I dreamed the city was overrun. Krawlven had every mage he could find slaughtered, except for one man whom he raised to his right hand, before he betrayed the man and had him killed as well.”

Darian blinked. "As far as visions go, that does seem to support the idea of a traitor. Could you see who the man was?" Arek shook his head. Darian gripped the younger man's shoulder. "Arek, say nothing to anyone else about this."

Arek looked at him sharply. There was worry and suspicion in his eyes.

Darian forced a smile. "Arek, do you trust the Star-Eyed?” he asked. Arek nodded. “Then trust what she has given you. She had you call me here. She gave you this knowledge because she knows how much you wish to aid in preventing this traitor from succeeding. We will figure this out, but I do not think it is wise to give the traitor more information than we must. He does not need to know that we know he is a mage; let him think the only knowledge we have of him is in the report by an emotionally distraught gryphon of the words of a drunken man.”

Arek looked at him searchingly, then nodded, turning and entering the Council chamber without another word.

Darian pressed a hand to his forehead and took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. He wished Kuari was with him; the bird's physical presence would have been a comfort but carrying him around the halls everywhere wasn't really practical.

Entering the Council chamber, Darian saw Moondance and Amberdrake already there and speaking with each other. Judeth was present, as was Skandranon, and a pair of younger gryphons. As Darian took his seat, he glanced over to see Arek seated next to Sunwolf. Snowstar, Thyer, and Firesong entered the chamber and the Council began. Darian saw Skandranon shoot Firesong an evaluative look.

Judeth stood without preamble. “I think I'll let Niehtre tell you what he found. Your report Silver.”

The slender, dark gryphon nodded. “We werrre deployed as D group and initially trrraveled to the wessst, ssswinging norrrthwessst asss we encounterrred nothing of note. It wasss on ourrr norrrthwarrrd ssswing that we firrrssst encounterrred any sssigns of foul work; an arrrmy, moving sssouthward, towarrrd White Gryphon. Sssyrrria's visssion wasss the bessst frrrom the height we werrre at." Niehtre nodded to the gryphon standing next to him.

"We followed them for the rest of the day and I counted them," the lean female replied, her words clipped and carefully spoken. "900 cavalry, 1500 foot soldiers, 50 wagons containing armaments and supplies." She paused adding with a soft trill, "No sign of _makaar_. They did have some strange beasts in cages among the wagons, but they were wingless." Syria shifted her weight. "I counted 5 cages. I believe each housed only one creature. I do not know what they were." She took a half step backwards nervously and glanced at her flight leader.

Niehtre nodded to her and continued. "We continued ourrr loop and met with anotherrr Sssilver. Ssshe had essscaped frrrom a patrrrol of another divission of the arrrmy and wasss attempting to make herrr way back to White Grrryphon; ssshe sssaid her name wasss Ssshintea, from B group. Ssshe gave usss herrr rrreport to take back at ssspeed, asss ssshe was injured, but when we arrrived we found that herrr wingmate had indeed been able to rrreturn. We left our thirrrd memberrr, Chisssae, with herrr to make theirrr way back asss they could and returrrned at ssspeed ourselvesss to rrreport.” He turned to Skandranon, “That is all we have to rrreport.”

Skan nodded. "Thank you Silvers." The pair inclined their heads for a moment before they departed the room.

Judeth rose, to open discussion of the information, but Thyer stood, commanding her attention. "I also have something to report," he said. Sunwolf shot him a dark look, but Darian thought he was the only one who noticed. Judeth nodded to him in surprise, ceding him the floor. Stepping forward, Thyer folded his arms solemnly. "After our last meeting, I thought deeply about what had been said. Perhaps this is what triggered it, but I had a dream, a dream I believe was sent by the Star-Eyed. I dreamed that we held council exactly as we had yesterday, and a man came before us speaking lies and withholding information." He paused, letting his gaze sweep around the room imperiously. Arek flinched visibly and Darian prayed no one else saw it as they turned to each other, murmuring. Darian supposed this was enough to confirm Hakeri's original report of a traitor.

"I could not see the man's face," Thyer continued, "but the dream ended with the voice of the Star-Eyed speaking these words to me: Beware the one who is not one of you. His pain will be your betrayal."

While the murmurs had quieted as Thyer spoke, the volume of them rose with that statement.

"Well, that's wonderfully vague, and rather spectacularly unhelpful," Firesong observed dryly.

"I would have to agree," Snowstar said, his brow furrowed. "Though such warnings are rarely specific."

"'Not one of us,'" Judeth mused. "That statement could have several implications."

Thyer shrugged. "I merely tell what was revealed to me."

Arek looked nervously at Darian. Darian tried to smile reassuringly.

"Surely you must have _something _more you can add, Thyer." Judeth frowned. "Some feeling that existed in the dream that would help us to narrow the field?"

Thyer hesitated. "There was something. I had the feeling that the pain mentioned was one that was very deep. And I felt a sense of," he raised beseeching eyes to meet Judeth's, "personal failure when the Star-Eyed said the first part."

Judeth frowned again, more severely, as she met the eyes of everyone seated around the table. She sighed, shaking her head, as something in her refused to believe that any one of these would be capable of such betrayal. "We can only hope that we understand it before we endanger ourselves too much. In the meantime, we must continue with our preparations to meet this army."

Darian found himself watching the Council members. If Thyer was right... Darian found himself as incapable of believing it as Judeth was. He had an idea that might help them, and he needed some input to make sure it was feasible; the result being he was going to have to trust someone, though trust was not something he was really willing to impart at the moment. He was, for all intents and purposes, alone in this world and whoever he chose to trust was the most likely to betray him.

Darian sighed; enough thinking, he was going to take Kuari hunting after he was through with all this and try, for a while, to push over-analyzing to the back of his mind.

* * *

Firesong tossed Aya from his wrist, into the darkening sky of twilight. He turned to the man who had followed him up to the rooftop. “What is your endgame, in all of this?”

Sunwolf folded his arms across his chest and glared at Firesong. “What do you mean?” His posture and tone were far too like his son's in that moment, and Firesong felt his irritation grow.

“Whatever strange compulsion that has your son fixated on me is not of his doing. Therefore, the likely candidate is a mage. One who knows him well. Is near to him often.”

“Strange compulsion? If you do not care for his advances, tell him so. Nightsinger is not one to force himself where he is not wanted.”

Firesong tapped fingers impatiently on stone. “Your insistence that such is not in keeping with his typical character adds to my suspicion. But perhaps–" He turned away from the night to face the other mage again. “Perhaps you are not in fact the puppet master I am looking for.”

Sunwolf's blue eyes narrowed. “I find myself mistaken in many of the things I thought about you and wondering at the Star-Eyed's purpose.”

Firesong made a small sound of annoyance, his index finger tapping an unconscious rhythm on Need's hilt. “Well, it appears this is a conversation that will have no resolution. I would appreciate it if you could get your son to leave off stalking me in gardens.”

In the process of leaving, Sunwolf looked back at him with a glare. “Why he should waste his time, I do not know, and I will pass the sentiment on.”

Firesong watched him leave.

_:I don't think it's him.: _

Firesong raised his eyes to the heavens in a plea for patience. _:Hours ago you were convinced it could be no one else.: _

Need sounded uncertain, a quality he was not used to hearing in her mental voice. _:The energy I feel around Nightsinger is... different. Wrong, somehow. I don't know how else to explain it. Sunwolf's not exactly throwing mage energy at me, but I get nothing similar from him.:_

Aya called to him from a distance and Firesong left the roof, taking the way down to the garden where he knew he would find the firebird.


	7. Night Walker

The evening breeze blew coolly off the water and up the cliff toward him as Darian raised his hand in a silent signal. He felt the soundless assent which answered his signal, as noiseless wings cast a shadow between him and the moon. Kuari circled above him, scanning the treetops with keen eyes as he swept down over the forest toward the open plain atop the city cliffs. Borrowing the owl's eyes Darian observed the changing landscape below in a way human eyes could have never appreciated, assuming they could have had a similar aerial view.

Their hunting was not for food but as Kuari noted the series of creatures that scurried away beneath his gaze it was with an echo of regret. _:Easy catch,: _he thought.

_:You'll get fat,: _Darian warned, more than a touch of humor in his voice, _:and I won't carry you with me anymore.:_

Kuari's response was derisive and Darian smiled to himself as he made his own way over the rough ground. It wasn't particularly hard going, but it was practice, keeping his mind on Kuari and on his own feet at the same time. He came to the edge of the cliff, near where they had started late this afternoon, and looked down over the city, Kuari's silent shadow casting over it. The wind was cool on his face; it was a quiet, peaceful evening not unlike one he would have spent with a certain someone.

_Keisha_...

He slammed down on that thought, forced it behind his guard. He couldn't think about that. He needed to be here, now. He couldn't let his mind wander to other thoughts.

Kuari hovered over him, then dropped, Darian catching the bird's weight on his arm and falling into a crouch as the owl settled on his shoulder. Kuari's wings spread over him as the bird lovingly combed his beak through Darian's hair. _:Hurts,: _he hurred softly. _:Hurts, but not alone.:_

Darian sighed, his eyes closed. _:I can't let it,: _he told Kuari, receiving only a questioning thought in response. _:I can't let it hurt. It's too important that we fix this.: _Darian sighed again. _:Don't worry about it, bird.: _He continued aloud, "I'll deal with it later, when I have time. Now, we need to get back." He stood, tossing Kuari back into the air before making his way to the steps down the cliff side.

The city was quiet, even in the early evening, as Darian wound through the streets. He kept his eyes and his mind from the families around him by riding his mind with Kuari. _Practice_... He was going to need all he could get to be able to carry off the thought in his mind. Working with Firesong wasn't going to be like he was used to; heck, it was probably going to be closer to impossible than to easy. For all the time they're been here Darian had spent very little time with the other mage. He did get the feeling that Firesong didn't like him; which amused him, in a way that wasn't really amusing– that his teacher's younger self and his own mature self did not get along. Though it was hard to tell behind the ageless Tayledras eyes, he was almost certain he was _older_ than Firesong, and maybe older than Moondance as well. It made everything unsettling, as if the chance to come back in time and warn his teacher about the future wasn't worth the _wrongness_ of it. Keisha would have appreciated the strangeness of it, he thought, would have examined with him the possible actions he could take…

He slammed the thought back. He had to concentrate if he was going to get Firesong to believe him. He knew Firesong had always had a reputation for revolutionary magical theories, but he wasn't sure just _how_ radical the man's younger self was. Such as, if he was into believing things that were supposed to be impossible when they were being told to him by someone he didn't like.

He found Firesong in the garden with Nightsinger. He was familiar enough with Sunwolf's son to know his name but, narrowing his eyes at the pair in the dimly lit garden, he suddenly realized just how much like Silverfox the other man looked, and he felt oddly jealous on Silverfox's behalf- jealous for something that didn't truly exist yet for Firesong either, and so there was no reason for it.

And yet- would it exist? Would they change the past here, rewrite history? What happened when what they did altered the past just enough to nudge everything out of line- and all of the events of his life seemed suddenly balanced over a sharp precipice, ready to tumble away: that he never met Snowfire to become one of the Tayledras , that he was never taught by Firesong, that he never returned to Errold's Grove to find a young healer living in Justyn's old cottage...

But, as he watched, Firesong shrugged off Nightsinger's hand and stepped away from the other man. Darian took a deep breath as his grip on reality settled back from the edge of the precipice, but the headiness of it left him a bit giddy.

As he walked toward them, he overheard Firesong say, "We have discussed this before. My opinion on the matter has not changed." He sounded tired, and far more patient than Darian would have given him credit for, having felt the short end of Firesong's temper on more than one occasion. But since the other mage seemed eager to be done with the conversation, Darian felt even less guilty about interrupting them.

"Firesong," he called as he walked toward them. "I'm sorry to interrupt," he leveled a steady-eyed stare at Nightsinger until the other man took a step backward. Darian shifted his gaze to Firesong. "But we need to talk."

Firesong rolled his eyes but made no sign that he wanted Darian to leave. "Oh really? What about?" He glanced away from Nightsinger significantly.

Darian took the lead and locked eyes with Nightsinger, holding the younger man's gaze until Nightsinger bowed slightly, mumbled an excuse, and walked away. "About how we're going to go to where Krawlven is," Darian answered evenly, turning to meet Firesong's incredulous gaze with a grin. "Come. We should find Moondance, and probably Amberdrake."

"Why stop there?" Firesong grumbled under his breath. "Why not invite the whole council? And in case the supposed traitor is not among them tonight, why don't we issue a citywide announcement of what we're doing, hmm?"

Darian laughed and walked off toward Moondance's room.

* * *

"It requires an even number of mages to work, to balance the power." Darian looked around at the group he and Firesong had gathered, spread around the large room they had ended up in; candlelight valiantly strove against the night, but the cavernous space was hardly filled with light. By some coincidence, or other twist of fate, it was the same room in which the three future mages had first arrived in White Gryphon. Darian hoped it would now see them take the next step. 

He leaned back, crouched on his heels. "We'd never tested it with so many people, or under circumstances like this." He met the eyes of Amberdrake, Moondance, Arek, Thyer, Sunwolf, and, lastly, Firesong.

Firesong leaned forward, his own expression eager as he worked through the idea Darian had just outlined. "But it does require very little actual magic unlike Gating, which is why you were able to make it work as you," he stumbled, "as _we_ did, after the Mage Storms."

Darian grinned. "Yes. That is true. But," he glanced over at Amberdrake then around at the rest of the circle, "what I'm saying is I'm not sure it'll work here, in this place, and now," he paused for a moment, "without half the knowledge it took to make it work in the first place."

"Oh, I don't know." Firesong frowned thoughtfully as he began absently sketching shapes on the floor in front of himself, examining them carefully as if they held great answers, and trying to fight the grin that pulled at the corner of his mouth. "I think it's less than _half _we're missing." Darian's own grin spread into a smirk which he tried to hide as well, given the solemnity of the situation. "And while I like the odds of having six of us to face whatever we find at the other end of our journey I also would like to leave behind someone capable of formulating an alternate plan in case this doesn't go well."

Thyer frowned from where he was leaning on Sunwolf's chair, arms folded over the chair's back. "I thought that was why we were not involving Snowstar in this discussion."

"That is one reason, true," Sunwolf glanced back at Thyer. "But I agree with Firesong." His gaze returned to his fellow mages. "I would volunteer to remain behind if one of us must stay."

"That leaves you with an odd number,"Amberdrake observed, wondering why he had been chosen to be a part of this discussion.

_:Does it? I wouldn’t be so sure about that if I were you boy.:_

Darian saw Amberdrake jump, as he always did when Need spoke. Not that he could fault the man; the sword was damn uncanny. "You have something to add, Need?" The sword's presence and abilities had been revealed to the other mages, much to Need's exasperation.

Her response was more caustic than usual. _:You need another mage to make it even? Well, I’m a mage. All I need is a body to carry me.:_

Darian traded a glance with Firesong; Firesong did not seem averse to the idea of Need getting as far away from him as possible. Darian let his eyes, along with those of others in the room, drift toward the sole non-mage present. Amberdrake looked hesitant but thoughtful. Darian frowned; the success of this mission was seriously up for debate. He wasn’t sure he wanted to rob the city of one of its leaders in a time preceding a crisis, not to mention Amberdrake's family. Though he wasn’t going to deny the man if he wanted to be a part of the experiment, and there was also the matter of Amberdrake being male- it was likely he would not be able to make full use of the sword's abilities, but Need had made the offer. Darian wondered how picky she would be about the probable lack of candidates they would have. It was far more likely they would have to leave behind another mage to make it even.

_:I do like shaking that boy up,:_ Need murmured with humor in Darian’s head and he could tell that these words were only for him. _:He’s far too serious. I’m guessing he, for one, doesn’t take me up on the offer; magic like this is not his arena. And I think he’s a little scared of me. I don't suppose there are any other likely candidates you can think of? If you’ve a better one, I’m all ears.:_

Darian snorted at that final mental image. _:I’m sure you are Need.:_

"I wonder if I am not the best candidate for such an undertaking," Amberdrake was saying to the eyes that were on him when Darian returned his mind to the conversation.

Firesong was about to answer him when the door was thrust open. Skandranon and Zhaneel entered, the Black Gryphon looking slightly chagrined while his mate held her head high with a certain stubbornness. She cast her eyes around the room. "I am going with you," she said, her voice clear and firm.

The room was silent for a moment. "Not that we won't welcome your company," Firesong managed to edge in first, his voice deceptively silken, "but why the sudden interest? And how do you know we're going anywhere, for that matter?"

Skandranon leaned back to groom his beak through the feathers on her neck in encouragement as Zhaneel spoke. "I had a dream. A vision." She shifted her feet. "Though I have never before seen her, the Star-Eyed appeared to me in all her glory." The room's silence took on an awed air as Zhaneel ducked her head humbly. "She told me that I was to bear the mage-sword Need into battle with Ma'ar."

Darian thought many of the same objections that he would have raised for Amberdrake applied to Zhaneel as well... Also, Skandranon himself was a mage and might round out their company even better than Need. But it was hard to argue with a direct summons from the Star-Eyed. Darian exchanged glances with Arek, who looked surprised but not altogether shocked. "Ma'ar?"

Skan grumbled. "Yes Ma'ar. Is there anyone who doesn't know by now?"

_:Gryphons are inherently magical creatures,: _Need said, as always, ignoring everything that was going on to cut straight to the root of the issue. _:That should make our association fairly pleasurable. If you watch your claws, girly.: _

Unable to pinpoint a source toward which to direct her glare, Zhaneel shot it toward the whole group, mantling slightly. "As soon as you watch your tongue, old woman."

_:Oh, I like her,: _Need said to Darian again, and Darian wondered why the sword was singling him out. His gaze rested briefly on Firesong, and Need answered him herself. _:Your little revelation has certainly stirred him up a bit. There's enough talking going on his head, he doesn't need to hear anything else from me.: _Was it just Darian or did she sound regretful? _:Lucky you, the bearer of bad news gets stuck with the voice of reason in his head. Still glad you said something?:_

Her tone was jocular, but Darian sensed some real bite behind her attempt at humor. _:Yes,: _he responded truthfully. _:It was something I had to say. I'm sorry though if it has strained things between you.: _

_:Oh don't give yourself too much credit.: _He felt a sensation similar to someone shuffling their feet. _:He's been out of sorts since we got here.: _There was a pause. _:You know, there is no greater energy for salvation than that of a mother.: _It took Darian a moment to realize that Need had switched conversation topics.

_:Zhaneel? You think she will be that integral to what we need to do?:_

Need seemed to shrug. _:I'm not sure; that kind of sight is not one of my gifts. But your Goddess seems to think so and if this crack team you've put together can't do it, no one can.: _She paused. _:If that damned traitor doesn't get us first.:_

Darian sighed, rubbing his temples. _:Always the optimist, aren't we?:_

_:Got that right.:_

* * *

Moondance settled the hastily adapted sword-harness across Zhaneel's shoulders, Need's scabbard falling between her shoulder blades and down the middle of her back. Zhaneel had designed the harness herself, in the days of the war, to help her carry useful instruments; it was simple enough to add a few ties to hold the length of the sword's scabbard. She spread her wings and reared up, testing the range of motion of all her limbs and finding them not hampered. She reached her forearm back and drew the sword, her hand-like claws grasping the hilt easily. She chuckled at something Need said to her before she returned the sword to its place, fixing the flap that would hold the sword safely in its scabbard during whatever aerial maneuvers Zhaneel felt needed to be undertaken. She nodded and turned to Moondance. "I am ready."

He nodded in response. "Darian and Firesong are still talking, but we will be leaving as soon as they are done." For most of those going on this trip there was little to gather to bring with them, since they had brought so little with them to this city in the first place. A hertasi was feeding the birds, and small but compact packs of weapons and supplies had been put together for each human to carry. Only Thyer, Zhaneel, and Arek were leaving anything behind in White Gryphon, and neither Thyer nor Arek had any close family.

Had it only been three days since they arrived here? They had been days too full to be so few, Moondance thought to himself. And for all that he ached for his own home, and the things he had left in it, this city was not a bad place to risk himself to defend.

Zhaneel, beside him, butted her head gently against Moondance. "You seem well enough for one headed into possible death."

He grinned wryly. "I have lost enough of late that the potential to lose more is acceptable, if it comes with the chance to gain something back. And you? You seem anxious, for the tried and tested soldier which I know that you are."

She turned her head away and made a small, indecisive sound in her throat. "It has been many years since the war. I wonder if I have grown rusty in my skills and I am-" She trailed off, shaking her head and finishing with, "Jumping at shadows, I suppose. I am not sure of why I must come with you, only that I must."

Moondance put his arms around her neck comfortingly. "That the Star-Eyed has taken such an interest is a favorable sign, I believe, for the mission's success. As for why it must be you," he murmured in her ear, smiling easily, "that is because you are a warrior without peer and without you, we would be lost."

She snorted disbelievingly, then head-butted him again in good humor. "Why thank you, mage. Now, I must go bid my mate farewell. I do not know how he will manage without my peerless self."

Moondance laughed. "Go on then, off with you."

Zhaneel picked her way across the room to where Skandranon stood beside Sunwolf, listening to Firesong and Darian. He looked up from the conversation as soon as she approached and the pair of them slipped out past the restless mages, down the hall to a wide window and out into the night sky. Zhaneel leapt into the air, spreading her wings and catching a thermal, rising over the city. She glanced down coyly at her mate; he had followed her into the sky but was content for the moment to continue following her and admiring the view. She chuckled, wheeling through the air, relishing in the feel of it against her feathers. She felt the touch of Need in the back of her mind as the sword enjoyed the experience of flying for the first time, firsthand through the mind connection with Zhaneel.

Wheeling above the cliff, Zhaneel landed lightly, Skan landing neatly beside her. He turned to her and lay his head across her shoulder, sighing. "I know you must go; we have already discussed it. Just know that there will be nothing left of me when you return, after putting up with those two scoundrels you call our children."

She huffed good-naturedly but did not retort. As light as they would try to make of it, neither of them wanted this parting. "I will return," she said firmly, "and you will be here."

He leaned back, looking at her. "Yes," he replied simply. "Come. I found what you were looking for earlier." He led the way back to their cave. The children were gone, at Kechara's nursery, and the dwelling was dark, but Skandranon moved surely in the darkness to a trunk by the wall. He pulled out something and brought it to Zhaneel as she waited near the door. In the moonlight she saw what it was.

"You found my claws." The old giddiness was rising in her as she fit the fighting claws over the backs of her hands, fisting her own claws so that the razor-sharp lengths of steel curved outward, even longer than the claws of the broadwings.

"If I send my mate into battle without me at her side," Skandranon groused, "it will be with every weapon the _makaar_ learned to fear."

Zhaneel felt her own history and present come together: she could almost feel dead _makaar_ falling from her grip as she flew the patrols and missions Urtho had trusted to her during the war, and she could see her sons' shed feathers dancing in a swirl of wind in the dark room behind her; she was filled with the heat of the first rush of infatuation she had felt for Skandranon, and she felt it subside to the constant, comfortable burn that was the years they had shared together. She preened her mate's crest. "I wish you were coming, too."

He sighed. "That makes two of us."

They flew up to the ridge and lay together for a while longer, looking down over the sleeping city.

* * *

Darian looked up to see Firesong standing by the window, looking out over the darkened city. Their discussion had ended but Darian walked over to him now, seeing the other mage shiver as a cool wind blew over him. Firesong glanced at Darian, murmuring, "Does time stop everywhere when one has been drawn out of it? If not, the Mage Storms have torn apart my time by now."

Darian shivered in his own turn. "I wonder," he whispered, looking out at the dark night. He paused for a long moment. "Keisha will be worried for me." His hands curled tightly into fists and he bit back a sob. "I have fought to keep myself from thinking of her." His eyes closed. "Because to think of her, of her not being here, makes it real." He could see her now, her hair flying about her face, her smile as she welcomed him home, the warm glow of her skin as she lay beside him.

"How does that make it any more or less real than anything else?" Firesong's sardonic voice shocked Darian out of his reverie. "To speak her name changes nothing about the world." His expression was shadowed as he leaned out of the window, a breeze catching and rippling through the length of his hair. "She is still as absent from you as Starwind is from Moondance, and you feel it just as deeply though the wound does not cut you to your soul."

Darian breathed in, slowly. "True enough."

Firesong turned toward him, silver eyes glinting in the light from the room behind Darian. He turned away abruptly, turning back to the night sky. "It was a good thought of yours, to remember this idea we had. I wonder, now that I already know of it will I still remember it when I meet you again for the first time? Perhaps this was none of mine to begin with, hmm? Perhaps the invention is yours solely."

Darian shook his head; pulling his mind away from Keisha was difficult and he was angry that Firesong didn't seem to understand how much being without her affected him. Over the years of being a diplomatic figure between so many groups of people, he had grown used to being calm, especially in tense situations, but in many ways Firesong had been a steady presence in his life and he found suddenly that he was pushed beyond his limit by the man's deliberate irritation. "If you want to give me all the credit, I am too wearied of arguing at this point to debate yet something else with you, never mind this supremely un-Firesong-like behavior." He turned away, back to the room, but the sound of laughter made him stop.

"Come now," Firesong admonished him. "You know as well as I we needed to discuss the relative points of comparison between the scouts' accounts of the geography, not to mention dividing the process equally between all participants." He turned away from the window finally, completely- as if leaving more than the window- and looked at Darian searchingly. "I was simply musing on the paradox of time and attempting to divert your attention from your absent lady."

Darian sighed, feeling tension wash out of him with the exhaled breath. "Perhaps," he said after a moment, "we will find that time is indeed no paradox at all, and it is only created now that we are drawn out of it." His voice was light, musing as well, but after a moment his facade crumbled, and he buried his face in his hands. "Of us all, I alone have no future reference, no assurance that there is something in the world beyond what I have already lived. No promise at all that this will work. What if this is the end of everything?"

Firesong touched his arm reassuringly, then reached up and smacked him across the back of the head.

"Ow, dammit!" Darian glared at him. "What purpose did that serve?!"

"Purpose?" Firesong questioned with mock innocence. "Why I should think it obvious." He walked away, laughing.

* * *

Arek felt a strange sensation of peace wash over him as he watched Darian drawing out the diagram and arranging the six players in their places with occasional comments from Firesong. Peace like as he had not felt since before his first vision of this coming evil, and, while his recent vision was still an echo in the back of his mind, it was more of a possibility rather than a certainty. To him the future appeared in ways like this, ways of likelihood and probability, of strong implausibility and near undeniability.

He glanced to where Sunwolf stood to the side, talking softly with Amberdrake and the newly arrived Snowstar, the three of them outside the form Darian was drawing. Curiously enough- or perhaps not so- they were in the same room that had been the setting of the original spell, when Arek's vision, along with Thyer's and Sunwolf's, had called the future mages to White Gryphon's need. The location made Arek's mind drift, reflecting on things past, and the mutability of the future. The past held darkness and sorrow for so many already; his eyes again drifted to Sunwolf before darting over to rest on Thyer. But if their future was another's past, what did that say for its mutability? He sighed; these thoughts were too deep, and Darian had taken his place in the form. It was time.

* * *

Darian stood at the apex of the hexagram and looked across to Firesong. Nodding his readiness, Darian closed his eyes and dove into himself. Kuari _hurred_ quietly from his shoulder.

He walked the dark half roads of the world between worlds. He was the night walker, slipping along the edge of the void between all things, and he focused his mind. He remembered what he had learned from the Northern mages, their intrinsically different approach to magic than what he had been taught. He reached out around the circle they made and found the brightness that was Firesong, brushing against it. Firesong recognized him, opened to him, and shared the fruit of his own walkings; the Firecats moved as though Gating but without Gates, when there could be no Gates. The truth of the method was divine, but the ability needed merely the knowledge that it could be so. The knowledge- and the power. Slowly they reached out to the other four in the circle, bringing them in to the knowledge. Each shared some of his- _her,_ he felt the sting of Need- own power, feeding the form from the tattered ley lines of the world, and so together they wove a net around the group, a web of connecting strands.

Darian took a deep breath and reached out to the dark half road between here and there and _pulled_ himself toward it.

* * *

One moment five men and a gryphon stood equidistant around a rough circle. The next moment, they were gone.

Amberdrake blinked. Skan ground his beak softly.

"Not like Gating at all," Sunwolf murmured appreciatively as he stepped forward to examine where the others had stood. "Rather ingenious."

Snowstar chuckled. "I expect no less from those the Star-Eyed entrusted with our survival."

Amberdrake sighed. "Far be it for me to doubt the divine but let us hope that Her trust was well placed."


	8. Irregular Journey

They had arrived.

It was like touching down after flight, Zhaneel thought, as she felt the ground gradually growing firmer under her taloned feet.

And then whatever had transported them seemed to grab her and shake her sideways, like a dog with a rat. Crying out in alarm, she instinctively tried to spread her wings for balance and found some presence above her pressing down around her. Close to panic, she heeded the sudden but recently familiar voice of Need in the back of her mind. _:Calm yourself. Give it a moment.:_

There seemed nothing for it but to consider the advice, and Zhaneel tried to relax against the feeling of something closing in around her, like the jaws of some great animal.

And just as suddenly she was free of it.

She touched ground truthfully and stumbled, regaining her footing and glancing around her warily, wings spread. Afternoon sunlight washed over her, and she could easily see her companions. The humans were showing similar effects from having been "shaken." She wondered what could have caused the sensation, and if that was to be her experience with magic she would be glad to leave well enough alone after this.

_:Something interfered with our transportation.:_ Need's voice supplied the information she sought. _:It pulled us from our intended destination. That was... unexpected.: _Zhaneel snorted at the understatement. :_Though not,:_ Need amended, as if speaking mostly to herself, _:entirely unprecedented.:_

Zhaneel looked again at the faces around her. Thyer and Moondance did not appear as adversely affected as she, but Arek looked to have gone a few losing rounds with a _makaar. _Darian was staring fixedly at Firesong– or staring fixedly straight ahead, she couldn't tell. Firesong, eyes closed, was murmuring something to himself, hands spread as if against some invisible foe. _:He is taking apart the transport... "spell" isn't the word for it, but it'll do in a pinch. Seized as it was by that shielding it will collapse around us with likely unpleasant consequences unless he unbuilds it as carefully as it was put together.:_

_Then by all means, leave him to it. _Zhaneel sat down on the ground, exhausted. She noticed Kuari was also standing on the ground mantling, wings spread and head spinning as he tried to watch for enemies from all sides.

_:I used a good deal of your strength, trying to help him hold it together.: _The sword's voice was unexpectedly conciliatory.

_That is fine, _Zhaneel replied in surprise. _I was under the impression that was the reason I was here– to help you._

_:I suppose, but if your sole purpose in coming was to serve as my conduit, I should have a word with this Star-Eyed of yours if I was you. You seem to be entirely overqualified.:_

Zhaneel let her mouth fall open in good humor. _I do not pick fights with deities, as a rule, but if you are right perhaps it is time I did so. _Moondance came over and sat beside her, leaning against the gryphon's steady bulk. "Are you well?" she asked in concern.

He nodded. "I was about to ask the same of you. It seems that the even though you were just a passenger in our travel, you suffered the most ill effects from its unexpected detour."

_:She is fine,: _Need assured both of them, though her mindvoice was distracted.

"I thank you for the assurance," Moondance replied sardonically. "Forgive me for seeking my own evaluation. What do you know of our deviation?"

_:Well, this place is not where we were trying to go. Where it _is_, I haven't a clue.:_

"Helpful as always, Need." Firesong interjected, stepping out of his place in the form where he had been fixed as he took apart the transport. "We seem to be nowhere in particular, though we are closer to where the interference wanted us to be than where we were headed to." He frowned. "I don't know if it is a comfort or otherwise that it is impossible that the one who has a habit of hijacking my Gates could be involved here." He looked over to Darian who was still shaking off the effects of the disruption and scanned over Arek and Thyer to rest his gaze on Moondance. "We can try it again to get closer to where we wanted to be, or we could press on and see why someone wanted us to be _here_."

Moondance raised an eyebrow. "The latter seems to be the course we have pursued since arriving in this time." Firesong grinned and turned to the still shaken Darian, who nodded and knelt to offer his arm to Kuari, giving the owl a boost into the air.

Darian had an intense look on his face, as if he was listening to something that hovered just on the edge of the range of his hearing. "I feel-" He trailed off and shook his head.

Moondance nodded, and Firesong said with dark satisfaction, "It's stronger. We're closer."

"You could sound less pleased about that," Moondance said with exasperation.

Firesong shook his head. "We're closer," he repeated.

Zhaneel stood, ready to follow them as they stepped off, but she stopped short as a movement caught at the corner of her eye. She spread her wings and crouched as she hissed, "We are being observed."

There was not much other warning before a wave of soldiers swept out of the cover of trees and attacked with a wild yell.

Zhaneel was airborne before the first one finished breaking cover. A quick scan showed no archers among them, and she used her position to advantage, sweeping down and bowling into the attacking formation, swiping at spears and swords with her razor claws.

She saw her companions respond almost as quickly. Their foes seemed to have realized that Arek was the only one without combat experience and had targeted him first. He was down with a wound in his shoulder, Moondance and Darian standing over him protectively. She was just pulling out of her second dive when Thyer let loose on their opponents with a spell that had the entire line of them falling to their knees and coughing blood. She heard Firesong shout something, but she had pulled too far up to hear what it was. From her position she could see reinforcements coming through the trees toward their fallen comrades. She was readying for her third dive when the forest below her erupted with fire.

She pulled back, hovering for a moment, adrenaline pumping through her. _The others! Are they alright?_

_:They're all fine,:_ Need reassured her. But as the fire cleared, Zhaneel looked down and could not see them. _:The fire was Firesong's distraction so that Darian could use his favorite disappearing trick. Fly down to the river we saw a moment ago; they will meet us there.:_

Zhaneel shook her head. _I will stay a moment, to make sure we are not followed._

She felt Need's approval even though the sword's tone was caustic. _:Well, fly a little higher then, girly, cause the spell doesn't last forever.:_

Zhaneel obeyed, flying higher and circling lazily for several moments as she watched the men who had attacked them regroup. She could see Kesuki flying toward the river, just above the trees, and assumed he was guiding the others. 

From this height she could see also the main camp their attackers had come from. It was at some distance but well within the range that she thought the group they had fought with was most likely a routine patrol. She let her eyes linger on the camp for a long moment before she shivered in distaste. _ He is there. _She wasn't sure how, but she knew she was right.

_:So now we know why we were pulled here. Whatever brought us was bringing us directly to Krawlven, instead of the front line of troops we were aiming for. I suppose we should be thankful his wards prevented it from dropping us right in his lap.: _Need sounded satisfied, and Zhaneel found she was as well. She winged away from the camp and approached the river Need had mentioned earlier, from the opposite side so that no one could follow her.

Need was the one who found the other mages; Zhaneel figured they would be invisible to the naked eye, but she had been prepared for magic not Tayledras ingenuity. They were perched in the boughs of a massive tree whose branches hung out over the water, its leaves offering protection from casual viewing. The branch Zhaneel landed on supported her weight easily.

Moondance smiled as he looked up from where the five mages were speaking in conference. He rose and came to greet her, moving easily through the branches as if they were solid ground. He had braided his hair more severely back from his face, but it flowed loose down his back. "Are you hurt at all? We did not think to bring a _trondi'irn, _and now I am regretting such an oversight."

She shook herself. "No, I am fine. And do not trouble yourself." She shrugged. "I am a good enough fighter that it is unlikely I will receive serious injury, except from a foe that is powerful enough to be a threat to our entire mission. And if our mission fails, I will have little need for a _trondi'irn."_

Moondance shook his head with a rueful smile. "Lady, you are indeed a warrior." His expression sobered as he led her toward the group. "Arek was not badly hurt and no one else received significant injury but Need says you have discovered our purpose in being in this place."

Zhaneel nodded and took a seat with the mages. Arek looked weary but, as Moondance had said, did not appear gravely handicapped by his wound. Firesong seemed the most discomfited; he was braiding his extremely long hair with a look of severe annoyance on his face. "I saw the camp that must have been where our attackers came from," Zhaneel began. "_He_ is there- Krawlven."

Thyer frowned. "How can you know that?"

She shook her head. "I just know. I feel it. He is... wrong, in a way that..." She shook her head again and repeated, "I can feel it."

Thyer sneered at that answer, but Firesong glared him into silence. "We feel it as well," he indicated himself, Darian, and Moondance. "And far be it for a mage of your level to discount things that are known but cannot be explained." 

Thyer glared at him but did not respond.

Zhaneel wondered if she should apologize for her inability to express herself better. She was no educated mage.

_:Don't even think about it,: _came Need's reply. _:Besides, that wasn't all about you. Firesong's got Thyer all in a snit because he criticized the methods Thyer was using against the ones who attacked us.: _She hesitated, and her tone suggested she agreed with Firesong's reproach. _:It was some pretty heavy magic; the kind that usually means there's blood mage training somewhere in his past.:_

Zhaneel tried not to let her surprise show on her face. _I do not know much about Thyer's history, but I do not think anyone in White Gryphon knows that about him._

Need's reply was a thoughtful, _:Hmmm.: _ The sword fell silent after that, and Zhaneel turned her attention back to the mages.

"Night will fall soon," Darian was saying, "at which point Kuari will be the best choice to scout the camp and the area surrounding."

"I am somewhat concerned as to how we left in the middle of the night and arrived in the middle of the afternoon," Arek murmured.

Firesong waved the concern away. His earlier annoyance had faded and there was a mischievous glint in his eyes. "We may have moved farther back along the sun's path than we initially planned."

"May have?" Thyer questioned acerbically. "You are somewhat indifferent about your great idea for getting us to our chosen destination not working properly."

Darian looked like he would have addressed the other mage, but Firesong locked eyes with Thyer. "You will forgive me if I am not surprised by greater hands than mine taking an interest in what I am doing," he said calmly. "The specific individual who is usually responsible for diverting my Gates is not now present, but such always happens with a reason and a view to a greater purpose." He spread his hand to indicate their surroundings. "We are where we need to be. The Star-Eyed is acting, I can feel it." He shifted his gaze to Zhaneel. "I am not the only one."

Zhaneel nodded. "I feel... I really can't explain it. As if something I have been waiting for is about to happen." Firesong nodded wisely.

"Good," Darian replied. "It has been a somewhat irregular trip that has brought us to this place, but it will be gratifying to finally reach our goal."

Moondance smirked. "And what fun would a smooth journey have been?" He sobered. "Tonight then, we will scout this camp. There is something here that needs to be healed."

"Night cannot fall fast enough," Thyer groused. "I have had enough of hiding in this tree."

Arek looked like he wanted to agree, but also didn't really want to say anything. Firesong laughed at Thyer, which did not improve the other mage's mood.

Moondance laughed as well. "Truly Thyer, I agree. I have learned to walk the tree-paths, and quite well in fact, but I was not born among the Taleydras and do not have their love for being separated from the ground."

Darian snorted agreement, and Firesong laughed again, at them all.

* * *

Kuari winged silently over Krawlven's camp. Kesuki grumbled softly from Moondance's shoulder. _:Big stupid featherhead, flying when cannot see.:_

Moondance chuckled softly in response to the falcon's comment. Truly, it was difficult to see anything in the murky blackness that surrounded them, even the owl's silvered feathers. _:Owls see better in the dark, 'Suki. He knows where he's going.:_

Kesuki clacked his beak softly and burrowed deeper into Moondance's hood. Moondance looked to his left, where Darian was only visible because he knew to look, and then to the right where the sparkling ends of Aya's tail peeking out from under Firesong's cloak betrayed the mage's position. Beyond Firesong, Arek and Thyer were situated where they could keep their own lookout on the camp, and beyond Darian on the other side was Zhaneel. Some of them saw less than others, but more eyes were better in this case and they each sought their own information from the view of the campsite as they waited for Kuari to return.

Krawlven's tent was easy to see, as it rose high above all other structures. Of the man himself they had seen no sign. His soldiers were many though Moondance did not think he could take a city the size of White Gryphon with what he had; this was obviously not the same group that the scouts had reported seeing. With his main army elsewhere, what remained were quite enough opponents for the small party now facing them. The soldiers took their ease around the campfires, but the camp was far more silent than Moondance would have expected. He wondered if the soldiers felt it – the pervasive sense of _wrong _that only grew stronger the longer the healing mage was so close to its source.

He was so focused on that wrongness that he didn't hear the leaves rustle behind him. Kesuki tensed in his hood, but it was Aya's cry cutting through the night that made him turn.

Kesuki startled out of Moondance's hood with his own shrill cry, flying right up into the face of their attacker. Moondance saw little more than the knife as it came toward him. He twisted to the side and pushed upward, catching his attacker by the arm and rending the knife from his grip to prevent another attack.

A fiery line of pain was screaming at him across the line of his ribs, and Moondance stumbled backward, putting distance between himself and Thyer. The other mage struck at him again- in a sudden fit of thwarted spite- with a magical attack, but Moondance felt it strike a shield placed before him by a hand not his own. The world tilted and he fell to his knees. _Ashke,_ he thought, absently.

Someone pushed him onto his side to prod at his wound, and suddenly there was light everywhere. He heard Firesong, voice tight with annoyance and concentration, "Shut him up, would you?"

As if being made aware of it in that moment allowed him to hear, the sound of Kesuki's impassioned screaming echoed through Moondance's mind. He opened his eyes to see Darian attempt to restrain the falcon, who was persisting in attacking Thyer. Dripping blood from a ruined eye socket, Thyer was throwing attacks back toward the falcon as Darian shielded him.

Moondance closed his eyes. _:Kesuki.: _There was silence, and, with a softly inquiring _hurr_, he felt his bondbird crouch near his head. _:I'm all right, bird,: _he thought. _:He just surprised me.: _He hissed as something Firesong did caused a thrill of pain to rush through him. He reached for Kesuki and repeated, _:I'm all right.: _Kesuki hissed at Firesong anyway, only to have Aya hiss back at him.

"Both of you shut up," Zhaneel snapped at them. "How bad is it?" she inquired of Firesong.

"Not bad," he replied. "He cut over and across bone, instead of getting underneath. It hurts a great deal, I'm sure, but isn't life threatening."

Moondance nodded his agreement at the assessment.

"We need to go," came Darian's calm voice.

The light winked out. Moondance felt hands pulling him up from the ground and Zhaneel's shoulder beside him. He leaned on her, but without the light blinding him he was able to open his eyes and see where he was going.

"Here," Firesong stopped them after a walk that felt like ages.

Moondance fell on the open ground and buried his face in his hands. He felt Zhaneel beside him and could hear Kesuki _hurr_ing worriedly in his ear. He groaned. "I'm fine," he told them. "Just in pain, and rather annoyed at myself."

Hands pulled his own away from his face and he looked up to find Arek pressing a waterskin at him. He took it and drank gratefully. "So, I suppose we've found the traitor that Hakeri, and Thyer come to think of it, warned us about?"

"So it would seem." Firesong was crouched beside a small fire, looking across to where Darian was forcing a bound Thyer to his knees. Thyer was still bleeding somewhat sluggishly from the wounds Kesuki had inflicted on him and his expression in the firelight was gruesome.

He grinned at them. "You will never defeat Krawlven. You may have thwarted the small part he allowed me to play in his plans, but you will never come close to defeating him!"

"And what exactly was your plan?" Firesong asked harshly. "Bring Moondance to this time, and then kill him? And I believe Need will back me up when I say the reason your magical aura feels familiar is because you were the one who set Nightsinger to seduce me under the guise of Silverfox."

Thyer laughed. "So arrogant! You think this is all about you."

Darian breathed in sharply. "But it is, isn't it?" His gaze swept the other mages. "Firesong, Firesong's protege, and Firesong's ancestor. This isn't just about the healing magic."

Firesong frowned. "But Moondance isn't truly my ancestor. Brightstar..." He stopped.

Darian nodded and turned to Moondance. "You said, when you came here, that you and Starwind and Brightstar were engaged in a battle."

Moondance nodded. He pressed a hand to his side; though the wound was not bad, he felt as if it was stealing the breath from his body. He stood and walked across to Thyer. "Hakeri said Krawlven was trying to prevent his death. You brought me here so that Brightstar will die. Firesong will not be born. Ma'ar will live."

Thyer grinned. "The Star-Eyed did send me a vision of you. But then my master Krawlven sent me another vision, the one with the child endangered, and I knew what I had to do." He frowned suddenly. "You were so clever though, getting this close to Krawlven. You have no hope of defeating him, but I thought that since you were this close you might find a way through time again and return before the deed is done. I could not let that happen."

Moondance's fingers tightened around the knife he held. He hadn't dropped it since wresting it from Thyer's grasp, and he raised it now.

"Moondance."

It was only after he turned toward Firesong that he realized there were tears on his face. He raised his free hand to touch his cheek. Firesong's eyes were full of sympathy. "I have been on the opposite end of this once before," he said conversationally. "And so, I will stop you from making a mistake that will consume you as someone once stopped me." He held out his hand toward Moondance. "When we sacrifice the deepest truths of our hearts, we never truly do it for love."

Moondance regarded him for a moment before he the knife fell from his loosened fingers and he took Firesong's hand in his own. The younger mage pulled him close, and Moondance cried silently into his shoulder.

* * *

Darian bound Thyer with magic to keep him still and silent. Arek sat with him, absently rubbing at his side.

"What is it?" Darian asked him eventually. "Are you injured?"

Arek jumped, startled. "No, I- Um, I just feel like I should have seen it coming." He rubbed his hands over his face this time, and when Darian thought he would speak again he instead remained silent.

Reaching over, Darian rested a hand on the young man's shoulder. "It's not your fault. Truly."

Arek nodded but did not look convinced.

Kuari returned, dropping out of the sky to land beside the fire like a bolt of silent lightning. _:Wrong place,: _he muttered to Darian. _:Wrongness. Very wrong.:_

Darian rose and went to him. _:I know, bird,: _he comforted. He had ridden with Kuari at the beginning of their reconnaissance, but Thyer's attack on Moondance had startled him back to his body and Kuari had finished the flight alone. _:We'll fix what's wrong, and then we'll go home.: _Something seized in his heart when he mentioned home, but Kuari was so distraught the bondbird didn't notice.

Kuari's arrival had attracted the attention of the others as well. Moondance looked tired but determined and well-composed. Firesong was stroking Aya, the bondbird tucked under his chin and grumbling to himself softly. "What did he find?" Firesong asked.

Darian knelt beside Kuari, stroking the feathers on the back of the owl's head. "Krawlven is in the camp," he reported as he worked through the images in his bondmate's head. "He has five or so other mages working for him. They all stay in the large tent. The soldiers are... hmm." Kuari was not the best with numbers but Darian looked at what his bondmate had seen and counted. "Two groups, five rows of ten men. 100 men in total."

"We will need a distraction to remove the soldiers from the battle," Firesong mused. "Krawlven is the only important target. Once I find him, I will need some time."

Darian narrowed his eyes. "You?"

Firesong's chin came up stubbornly. "I've already killed him, haven't I? It can only save lives if I do it earlier."

Moondance and Darian stared at him. "You speak of changing the future," Moondance whispered.

Firesong looked away. "It can only be a benefit, if this evil does not continue to exist."

"You cannot know that," Darian protested. "What if something worse than Ma'ar has the chance to spring up, now that his influence is gone?"

"So maybe I should never kill him then?" Firesong snapped back.

"Peace," Moondance chided them. "We must stop Krawlven. If it comes that Ma'ar's soul dies now, then that will be as it should, but that is not our priority. The Star-Eyed brought us here to defend her people and to heal a blight upon this world."

Firesong looked as if he might argue, but Arek spoke first.

"I have an idea for a distraction," the younger mage said. He glanced at the others. "I will need some assistance."

Firesong nodded. "Darian, help Arek. Moondance, you, Need, and Zhaneel are in charge of the other mages. I will take Krawlven."

Darian looked as if he wanted to argue, but huffed out a breath and said only, "Fine."

Moondance narrowed his eyes. "I will take first watch. Get some sleep. Dawn will come soon."


	9. Fire Purifies

Sometime in the night, Thyer vanished.

Arek had taken last watch, and guilt almost kept him from being able to speak clearly as they all discovered it just before dawn.

Darian clasped Arek's shoulder. "It is not your fault."

Firesong was examining the place where Thyer had been lying. "He probably chose your watch because there would have been no extra eyes to spy on him." Aya turned his head and made a sound deep in his throat.

Darian glared at the man. "In any case, it's done now."

"Hmm," Firesong absently agreed.

"He's likely gone to the camp," Moondance pointed out. "They will expect our attack."

"But why?" Firesong mused out loud. "Why come with us? He knew that where we were _supposed _to be going wasn't anywhere near here. There has to be something..." He paced the length of the small clearing, the others watching him with varying degrees of amused annoyance. "Krawlven is still far from White Gryphon. His army is large, but spread out, and not here with him." Firesong froze. "To build a gate, you need to have been to the place you are building it to."

Moondance frowned. "But Thyer can't build a gate. Even if it was possible, he can't be more than a Master." He inhaled sharply. "You mean Krawlven will use Thyer to build a gate to White Gryphon."

"He will feed it the other mages he has with him," Darian murmured in realization. "That's why he brought them along, to establish the gate. The army will converge on him here, and then walk right into White Gryphon." He shook his head. "That can't be his plan. He can't have known we'd bring Thyer here to him."

Firesong gestured impatiently. "Perhaps not his original plan, but they are both here now. Would you like to place a wager against them deciding to do that very thing?"

"If they are busy building a gate," Arek spoke up, "they will not be as concerned with an attack from us."

Firesong shook his head grimly. "Because Krawlven will have shields in place so that we cannot interfere until the gate is well established."

"He cannot protect on all sides," Zhaneel said, mantling. "Give me a weapon and I will fly it over his troops and deliver it to him personally."

"No," Moondance said firmly. "The Star-Eyed brought us here to solve this problem, not to get you killed in a suicide run."

Firesong untensed, relaxing with a small grin. "Too true. And I believed we discussed our plan last night."

Arek stood, touching Darian's shoulder. "We will prevent the soldiers from interfering. Kuari, Zhaneel."

Zhaneel grinned bloodily as she stood and followed. "This will be a glorious battle."

* * *

By the time the sun was well over the horizon they were in place. Darian motioned to Arek, on the other side of the clearing, who nodded and pointed above them. Aya wheeled down through the sky, signaling that Firesong and Moondance were close to their target.

Kuari and Zhaneel, carrying buckets of pitch, dumped them over the soldiers' tent as sparks from Aya's tail caught the pitch on fire.

The soldiers came rushing out of their tents, but with a practiced motion Arek drew the fire into a circle around them, separating them from the rest of the camp. The fire flared up into a thick wall of flame and smoke that seemed impenetrable. He ran across to Darian. "Go," he said. He reached out to grasp Darian's shoulder. "I needed your assistance to set the spell boundary, but I can hold it now. You must help the others. It is what you came for."

Darian nodded, running toward the main tent.

Before he reached it, the tent exploded in a huge expulsion of energy. Darian skidded to a stop, waves of magic washing over him. He reinforced his own shields but had to stop for a moment and watch. He could see where the doorway for the potential Gate was set, but there was nothing in it, no energy. They had succeeded in arriving before Krawlven began his work on it. There were eight figures standing before him- two unfamiliar men stumbled away from a surge of power and heat, but Darian came up behind them unseen and caused them to sleep; it would be too risky to let them just walk away at this point. He would have moved to where it seemed Moondance was dealing with the four other mages, but he had to stop and stare for a moment in sheer awe as Firesong clashed with Krawlven. The power their enemy brought to bear was like nothing Darian had ever felt before in his life, but Firesong just pulled the power to himself, gathering it and directing it down into the earth below them. It took Darian's breath away.

Their adversary was easy to pick out not because he was physically different but because Darian could feel the wrongness and power of his magic. Something dark was feeding it, and he remembered Amberdrake's words about a prophecy of a dark god.

Moondance struck at the other mages, but there were several of them, including Thyer. Darian shook himself from his reverie and ran to help as Zhaneel and Need hit them like lightning from the sky, bowling through the other mages. Moondance cast a spell that kept them confused.

Darian ran to Firesong. Krawlven was snarling at all of them in his rage, and as Darian watched Krawlven grabbed a dagger from his sleeve and drove it into his own heart. His body fell in a heap on the ground.

Firesong fell to one knee, staring fixedly through the world before him and into another place. Darian grasped his shoulder tightly, wondering if channeling the great amount of energy had taken its toll, but soon realized that Firesong was pursuing Ma'ar's soul. He lay his mentor's body on the ground and stood guard over him.

* * *

Firesong followed Krawlven into the void. It had been awhile, but he knew the way to Ma'ar's sanctuary- it was seared into his mind- and Ma'ar's soul hid inside the little pocket now. He remembered the day Silverfox had confronted him about his lifebond obsession, and he wondered- if Ma'ar was destroyed now, would he ever meet the other man?

It seemed selfish. Ma'ar had killed so many, caused so much pain. Firesong knew that if An'desha was here now, he would not hesitate to strike this blow. The sooner Ma'ar died, the better everything would be. There could be no doubt in that. Yet, it would change the history of the world, completely, it could not be denied. How could Firesong be certain the change would be for the better, if, as Darian feared, some greater evil now had a chance to gather power? But just because Firesong could not know how the world would change did not make that change something to fear. He was so selfish.

_"You are not selfish, in this."_

Firesong turned, and his breath caught. "Kal'enel," he said reverently.

The goddess smiled, her eyes endless fields of stars. _"This task has already been accomplished. You do not need to do it again."_

Firesong shook his head. "You brought us here. I can accomplish it now, before he hurts more people."

_"We were allowed to bring you here to correct a mistake, a thing that should not have happened."_

Firesong frowned. "I do not understand."

The Star-Eyed spread her arms. _"This is not how history should have passed. When Ma'ar hid his soul and was reborn as Krawlven, he was just a man. A warlord, power hungry. But it happened that he found an object of power that allowed him to reach into our world. His hunger spoke to a dark being and Krawlven was granted that darkness to wield as his own. He should not have been."_

Firesong glanced at the energy hideaway. "He was given the power of a god," he marveled softly. He glanced at the Star-Eyed. "And so, you interfered, as you would not have. As you had not before, which is why this is not spoken of in any history that has been written. Because it had not happened yet." He shook his head and smiled wryly. "I think I am done musing on the paradox of time."

The Star-Eyed smiled. _"Just so." _She reached out and cupped her hand against Firesong's cheek. _"Do you understand now, my child?"_

Firesong nodded but drew in a deep breath. "I cannot leave him, knowing he is there. Knowing the pain he will cause."

The Star-Eyed's smile softened. _"You would not be what you are if you could. Reach out your hand my child. As it is I who have brought you here, it is my place to take that choice from you." _

Firesong had reached out at her words, almost unconsciously, but when he thought he would take her hand, he blinked and found himself back in the world, out of the void. He was lying on the ground, and he turned his head to look at Krawlven's unmoving body to ensure it remained that way.

Darian was standing beside him, and he knelt, asking, "Firesong?"

Firesong nodded. "He's gone," he said, though it was neither complete information nor as true as he wished it to be.

"So, the work begins," Moondance said, walking up on his other side.

Darian grinned.

Firesong pushed himself up and scrambled through Krawlven's belongings, looking for something. He pulled out a sphere of stone that hummed with dark energy. Moondance hissed, and Darian made a small sound of anger and pain. Firesong nodded. He dropped the stone, Krawlven's focus stone, and they all gathered around it. Moondance and Darian each placed a hand on Firesong's shoulder, and he opened himself as a conduit to the earth around them.

The magic was twisted and shattered, from all that the storms had done to the land, and the very _wrongness_ of Krawlven's power was like a dark stain over everything else. Firesong frowned. This could all do back to whatever dark god Krawlven had called it from, and good riddance. The stone sphere shimmered for a moment, but the magical energy bled out of it and the stone turned to sand and vanished in the wind. Firesong let his consciousness sink into the land. He felt Darian and Moondance to either side of him, and they reached into the land and straightened the shattered brokenness of it.

It felt hours later when they all opened their eyes and Moondance frowned in satisfaction. "It is a good start to reforming the ley lines."

Darian smiled, the expression peaceful. "I've never felt power like this before," he mused.

"We are but vessels," Firesong mused. "The Star-Eyed works in this."

A familiar voice pulled them from their contemplation, and Zhaneel landed beside them. "Arek's distraction will not last much longer. We need make ready to face the soldiers."

Darian reached out to the other mage, calling, _:Join us here, Arek, and we will leave this place.:_

Firesong shivered and the star-filled voice of the goddess whispered in his mind, _"My thanks for a job most well accomplished. And now I will take you home, my children."_

Moondance reached out for Zhaneel, and Darian beckoned Arek, whom they could see running toward them. Firesong felt the power of the goddess washing up through him and out, and the world faded from around him.


	10. Future Perfect

There was a storm coming in over the water as Amberdrake looked out over the bay. Winterhart moved up behind him, her arm sliding around his waist. "They will be alright," she said.

Drake smiled softly, turning to kiss her temple. "I know."

"But you can't help worrying," Winterhart finished.

He lay his hand over hers and squeezed.

A pulse seemed to pass through the earth, a ripple that seemed to strike the mage-weather head on, the storm abating in the pulse's passing and the skies opening up a clear blue. A quick black shape, followed by a small tan blur, winged through the sky. Drake frowned as he wondered what would call Skan and Kecahra away from the nursery, where Skan had been keeping his children so they could play with Kechara and the other younglings to keep their minds off their absent mother. Kechara seemed merely swept up in whatever strength of emotion had pulled Skandranon to the sky and to the main Council building. Drake frowned, but suddenly realized.

"They did it," he murmured. "Somehow it must have brought them back to the chamber." He hugged Winterhart, and she threw the door behind them open as the pair of them raced through the halls.

They were not the only ones to come running; Judeth was there already, pouring Arek a drink, and Snowstar came up just as Amberdrake and Winterhart arrived. The humans stood back politely as Skandranon preened Zhaneel's crest and focused their attention on Arek. There was no sign of the futuristic visitors.

"What happened, man? Where is Thyer?" Snowstar demanded. "Whatever you did it worked, but..." He seemed hesitant to know but asked anyway. "Did it cost the others their lives?"

"Thyer was the traitor," Zhaneel injected flatly.

Amberdrake gasped in surprise and Judeth swore.

"It was quite a shock to us," Arek said, shaking his head wearily. "As for the others, I do not think any of the visitors perished. We, or I should say they, accomplished the goal for which they came. We traveled to Krawlven's camp, but rather than the forefront that the scouts had seen, we were drawn to his central camp. Firesong believed it was through the Star-Eyed's providence. They were able to destroy him and set things right in the land. Everything went dark for a moment and when we opened our eyes we were here." He nodded to Zhaneel.

She stepped forward, her mate curling around her, and addressed them. "I too believe they were called home and not destroyed, but that is only a feeling." She glanced at Arek; he gestured for her to tell the tale.

"The Star Eyed appeared and explained that somehow Ma'ar had managed to contact a dark god and through evil pacts add that creature's power to his own."

"This is why the Star Eyed took a hand," Arek added. "In the visions she gifted and the help she offered, for it was not simply a matter of letting us find our own way as she usually does."

Skandranon sighed. "And is Ma'ar truly dead at least this time?"

Zhaneel clacked her beak. "I do not know. Firesong pursued him into the Void, but none of us saw what happened there." She turned her head to confirm with her eyes and added, "I can no longer feel her mind, so I would say the mage-sword, Need, is returned with them to her rightful place. Which is why I believe they are sent home and not simply gone."

Arek nodded. "I have such a feeling as well." He raised his eyes to the sky. "I pray the Goddess will grant me one final vision to confirm it, for they were excellent men who undertook the task we placed before them, even though they were unwillingly brought."

"They were true followers of Her path," Snowstar agreed.

Amberdrake placed a hand on Winterhart's shoulder. "The Goddess be with them, wherever they are."

* * *

Moondance inhaled sharply, then the air was forced out of him just as quickly as he slammed into the ground. Kesuki screamed above him but Moondance couldn't respond to whatever had agitated the falcon as something had seized inside him and he felt it tunneling into his soul. _:Ashke,:_ he thought, and he felt Starwind's answer wash over him, as welcome and joyous as air.

He had returned, and as he looked up, Moondance saw the band who had attacked his family on their return trip from visiting k'Sheyna Vale. He and Starwind had thought the men common poachers, not a strange sight in the Pelagiris, but he knew now they were more of a threat than they had first seemed.

Moondance blocked a blow from the man who leaned over him, then rolled away and to his feet at the first opportunity. He pulled a dagger from his belt, Kesuki screaming above him. The falcon's cries were answered by Asheena's, as Starwind's bondbird wheeled over them. The man standing before Moondance fell to the ground abruptly, a smoking wound in his back. Moondance looked up to see Starwind running toward him.

"Ashke." He touched Moondance's face with joy. "What happened? For a moment I felt as though..." He shivered and kissed Moondance deeply.

As filled with joy as he was, Moondance pulled away from the kiss and grabbed Starwind's hands to pull himself to his feet. "Brightstar," he said urgently. "Where is he?"

"This way." Starwind urged him forward, and Moondance turned and raced through the forest in search of their son. He burst out into a cleared area and Kesuki and Asheena whipped past him, their cries leading him toward a small copse at the top of a ridge. Moondance heard the dull crack of steel against wood, and ran through the trees to find Brightstar, wounded and bleeding in several places, still managing to defeat his opponent with one final blow from the length of his stave. All three bondbirds winged toward Brightstar as Moondance raced toward him, and it was as his eyes followed the birds that Moondance noticed there was one more poacher. The man was standing farther up the ridge, bow drawn back and ready to fire. Moondance whirled, too out of breath to shout. But Starwind was right behind him, in his mind, whispering, _:I see him, ashke.:_ Coming to a halt, Starwind grimly raised a hand and sighted on the last poacher, striking him with a hard lash of magic, driving the man back a step with the force of the impact against his chest before he stumbled slightly, his body falling down the ridge toward them.

Brightstar turned toward his parents, but sank to the ground, leaning on his stave. Moondance made his way to his son. "Where are you wounded?"

"The worst is here," Brightstar said with a grimace, pointing to a deep cut above his knee. It was bleeding freely and Starwind cinched a tourniquet around the leg above the wound as Moondance knelt over their son, eyes closed as he reached for a nearby ley line. A mage was not the same as a healer, but there was no need to diagnose, just knit flesh.

Afterward he sat for a moment, just breathing, before he reached for his son and pulled the young man against him. "You're safe," he breathed.

Starwind reached over to put a hand on each of their shoulders. "_Ashke_, I thought I'd lost you for a moment."

Moondance turned toward him and drew Starwind's hand to his cheek and closed his eyes as he turned his face into the touch. "For a moment you did," he said. He opened his eyes to look at his partner and smiled. "I do have a story to tell, I must say."

* * *

The feel of stone, all around him, was not unlike the feeling of being in White Gryphon, but, by the cold and the pervasiveness of the smell of damp, Firesong knew he had returned to the Tower. Aya shifted on his shoulder and Need was a familiar weight on his back. He opened his eyes, and before him sat the cube-maze weapon of Urtho's creation, the structure glowing softly as if in anticipation. By the level of sound in the outer chamber, it appeared he had returned to the exact moment from which he'd departed this time.

He touched Need's hilt, but when he would have spoken she cut him off by speaking first. _:Don't worry about me boy. I never thought I'd make it out of this, and nothing's changed, for me, knowing for sure that I won't.: _She paused for a moment. _:I won't hold it against you if you want to find a different way.:_

He sighed. _:We talked about it. The cube-maze is the best choice, especially with the extra mages to shield the central participants. I could switch with someone, but...: _Knowing what would happen, would he wish that on... on An'desha probably, or would Need consent to go to Sejanes? As if An'desha didn't have enough torment in his life. And Sejanes was an old man. The strain of molten metal exploding all over him might kill him. Firesong shivered. Maybe Sejanes died anyway; Darian hadn't mentioned, and it was only now that Firesong wished he'd thought to ask about the fates of the others besides himself and Karal.

Someone moved at the chamber's entrance, and Firesong looked up at Silverfox.

"This is where you're hiding." The _kestra'chern_ smiled, taking any censure out of the words. "Seeking a moment's quiet, I shouldn't think. Shall I leave you?"

Firesong shook his head, but Silverfox seemed to anticipate the answer, for he was already walking around the wire-sculpture toward where Firesong stood. Firesong took the time to appreciate watching him, and when Silverfox stood next to him he pulled the man into a kiss.

Silverfox returned the kiss eagerly, but when he pulled away he looked at Firesong worriedly. "Something has distressed you, _ahela_. Something beyond our current circumstances." His eyes were penetrating, and Firesong looked away.

"I have had a sort of vision, I suppose, of the result we will achieve. It will work, we will stop the final storm," Firesong said softly. Which Darian had not truly said, but if he lived in a future where Firesong taught him magecraft, then the world could not be too far changed. "But I have been told the price I must pay for it." Silverfox inhaled sharply, and Firesong wondered if any of the possibilities running through the _kestra'chern'_s head were even close to the truth. "I... do not want to do it. I am a coward."

"You are many things, _ahela_," Silverfox said quietly, "but you are not a coward." Firesong scoffed. Silverfox shook his head and fixed Firesong with another penetrating look. "When k'Sheyna called for someone to help with their rogue Heartstone, who came to help them, knowing the danger?"

"There isn't another Healing Adept that could have handled it," Firesong argued.

"And when Valdemar needed Adepts to teach their fledgling mages, who went to that strange and foreign land, even though there was no one there who could appreciate just how good he was at his craft, or appreciate his beauty and treat him the way he deserved?"

Firesong folded his arms across his chest grumpily. "It wasn't exactly," he began, but Silverfox reached out to touch his cheek, drawing his attention to the _kestra'chern_.

"You have seen enough now that you are aware of the world in ways you had not been before," Silverfox said. "You have had your own perception of your powers challenged in ways you never could have foreseen. And perhaps this is the most frightening: that you have now been given a glimpse of a darkness ahead of you, and it has eclipsed all view of the light." He withdrew his hand. "You must pay a price, which you always knew was possible, though now you have learned its full measure. But you said that you will succeed in your aim. Is that not worth the price you must pay?"

Firesong remembered that first night, in Moondance's room, and the soft smile on Darian's face- _yes it's Silverfox, he stays_\- and he smiled now. "You do have a gift for helping me remember things I forget. You bring out the best in me."

Silverfox returned the smile. "As long as you remember that it's there to be brought out."

Firesong reached for his hand and held it tightly, but he would not ask for promises; not before. He nodded decisively. "The storm will not wait. I supposed we must get to it."

He followed Silverfox back to the central chamber. He sent Aya winging to his perch in the workroom as he went to speak to An'desha and Sejanes.

* * *

Darian opened his eyes. He felt his hands, rough against the tree bark, tense slightly as he recognized the vista before him. He inhaled and was filled with the scent of the northern forest, and a sob broke from him. _:Home.: _Kuari's voice was a trill of joy in his mind as the owl shifted restlessly on his shoulder.

He was back, he was home. Whatever they'd done it must have worked- because the valley below him looked as he remembered it, Tayledras and Ghost Cat clansmen walking down the streets of Errold's Grove, the people of Errold's Grove intermingled with them. And this was the moment, the moment he'd closed his eyes and opened them in the past. He had returned to the precise moment.

Darian stood, flinging Kuari into the air, and turned and ran.

He ran through the woods, barely pausing as he passed into the Vale. He ran to his e'kele, and around to Keisha's workshop. She was there; she smelled like sage and vinegar and she was rumpled, her sleeves pushed up past her elbows and her brow furrowed in concentration as she bent over her jars. He called her name and she barely had time to seal the last jar and stand up before he swept her into his arms.

Keisha gasped in surprise and laughed as his enthusiasm. She returned his kiss, stroking hair back from his face as she smiled ruefully at the streaks of vinegar she left behind on his face. "And what brought this on, I wonder?"

Darian made a soft noise and held her more tightly, hiding his face against her.

"Here now," she said, her voice low and soothing. "It's alright, my love. Darian? What's wrong?"

He took a deep breath. "Nothing." He smiled at her. "It's nothing. I just... had a sort of dream." He tangled his fingers in her hair and drank in her features.

Everything was as he remembered it, so it seemed that what they'd done hadn't changed history. His memories of his teaching were intact, but there was someone else he needed to check on. He kissed Keisha again. "I'll tell you more later," he said as he released her, "Promise. I need to check on Firesong."

She nodded and watched bemused as he ran off again.

Nothing seemed changed, but Darian was still filled with urgency and he pounded on the door to Silverfox's e'kele perhaps more heavily than he needed to. After a moment, Silverfox flung the door open. "Darian, what is the matter?"

Darian smiled sheepishly. "Nothing, I'm sorry. I just-" And he looked up as Firesong passed through the inner door. Darian felt the words catch in his throat and he had to clear it before he could finish. "I just got back, and I wanted to check on you."

Firesong's masked face tilted in inquiry. "Back? Back from where?" His eyes narrowed playfully. "Darian, what-" But he caught himself and truly looked at his student for a moment. He said only, "Ah. It's that time, is it? Come in." He drew Darian into the inner room and down to a seat.

"Shall I leave you?" Silverfox asked softly, but Firesong shook his head.

"Stay. It's more than time I finished the story for you, and this is more the province of _kestra'chern_ than mages in any case." Firesong looked at Darian carefully. "You're just back from White Gryphon, aren't you?"

Darian nodded, unable to speak. Silverfox's brow creased in confusion, but he sat beside Firesong and waited patiently.

"I wondered when it was for you." Darian could hear the crooked grin in Firesong's voice. Firesong reached up and lifted the mask from his face, meeting Darian's eyes as Darian looked at his familiar scarred face. The familiarity was comforting in its own way, but it looked perhaps more horrible now that Darian had seen what Firesong had given up. "Do you wonder why I chose the same?" Firesong asked.

Darian shook his head with a wry half-smile. "No. Not really. I... The choice felt like something I had to offer you. I suppose I never really thought on whether or not you'd change anything."

Firesong leaned back in his chair, turning his attention to Silverfox. "_Ashke_, do you remember when you found me before the last Storm, in the cave with the cube-maze and I said I'd had a sort of vision?"

Silverfox nodded. "You said later it was as if you'd stood in a continuum and glimpsed both the future and your ancestors." He glanced between the two of them. "Darian was there?" he guessed. "You saw _that_ far into the future?"

"It was more specific points than a general sense of time, as represented by specific people and what they knew." Firesong steepled his fingers and his gaze grew distant. "Darian was my future. A student I could truly be proud of." Darian blushed and Firesong raised an eyebrow at him. "What's not to be proud of, hmm? A Healing Adept is a rare thing. And you weren't born Taleydras. I often wondered how I tempted you to the Vale."

"It wasn't you," Darian said.

Firesong waved a hand impatiently. "Yes, but I didn't know it then, did I? I wondered... Especially since you didn't seem the type I usually tempted." He grinned.

Darian blushed again, before frowning and glancing at Silverfox. "But I told you..."

Firesong nodded. "Yet another thing to wonder over." He held out his hand to Silverfox, who took it gently, tracing the lines of scars below the mage's wrists. "I asked Darian if in my future I still searched for a lifebond." Silverfox stilled and his eyes snapped to Firesong's. Firesong grinned, the expression warm in his eyes as he looked at his partner. "He told me no."

Silverfox raised an eyebrow and allowed an answering smile to pull at the corner of his mouth. "So, you glimpsed a bit of future wisdom."

Firesong shook his head. "If I saw the future, I could not believe it until I lived it. You seemed something I could not hope to hold near me, though you remain my ground when I fly into storms."

Silverfox smiled. "I will never leave you," he promised, and the words seemed filled with ancient truth.

Firesong drew his partner's hand to his mouth and kissed it. "I have been the better for having you."

Darian watched them with pleased affirmation, but a growing sense of intrusion. He shifted. "I will leave you. I just wanted to check on you."

"Darian, stay a moment." Silverfox turned to him. "I have many questions! The pair of you met in _White Gryphon_ if I'm hearing you correctly?"

Darian grinned sheepishly. "Ah, yes. Ancient White Gryphon, perhaps at the height if its mythos." He turned to Firesong. "It has just occurred to me that I'm going to slip and say something to Ayshen about how I've seen what he's talking about the next time he mentions something about White Gryphon architecture."

Firesong laughed without sympathy. "Well, you'll just have to talk yourself out of it."

Silverfox, seeming reluctant but unable to stop himself, demanded, "And who did you meet there?"

Firesong nodded sagely. "Ah, yes, one Amberdrake k'Leysha. Quite an exemplar of a _kestra'chern_." He grinned at Silverfox.

Silverfox merely raised an eyebrow and stated, "You will tell me everything."

"Everyone was very impressive," Darian put in. "I suppose it shouldn't become widespread knowledge, but I'd almost like to tell Kelvren that Shakdranon was just a gryphon like any other."

"Don't," Firesong advised. "Tell Keisha if you wish, but you're right, it should stop there. Even if there were extenuating circumstances, if it became known that the Star-Eyed drew people through time to solve problems, everyone would wonder why she didn't do it to fix their messes."

Darian nodded.

"Enough about White Gryphon then." Silverfox turned to Darian with a grin. "Darian, what did you think of meeting your teacher's younger self?"

Darian ducked his head and grinned. "It was... interesting."

Firesong threw up his hands. "It's a good thing I didn't have to deal with the pair of you before I learned patience!"

Silverfox chuckled and Darian looked at him sidelong. He wondered what it had been like for the _kestra'chern_, falling in love with the demanding man Firesong used to be. Darian had wondered if it was only because he knew the man Firesong would become that he thought he could see that man in the haughty mage he'd met; but that couldn't be true, because Silverfox had known that man and had seen Firesong's true spirit within him. "It was _very _interesting," he said.

Firesong mock-glared at him. "Impudent pup." He tapped his fingers on his armrest, and asked, almost reluctant himself this time, "I wonder, _ashke_, if the name Sunwolf is familiar to you?"

Silverfox regarded him thoughtfully. "I do have an ancestor by that name. Did you meet him?"

"He was one of the mages who brought us back," Darian said, unsure if Firesong wanted to continue this part of the story.

Silverfox nodded. "And his daughter, Summerrain?"

Firesong relaxed visibly, saying, "She was younger than Moonshadow."

Darian was certain Silverfox had noticed; he was a _kestra'chern_ after all. Darian felt he had to put in, "Ma'ar was wound rather more tightly in our dealings than we thought."

Firesong looked up at Darian. "Yes," he said thoughtfully. "His dark ally's power allowed him to twist his way into the Star-Eyed's work." Silverfox was watching him with patient eyes, and Darian thought he might have guessed part of what had happened.

"I will leave you now," Darian said, standing. "I left Keisha wondering what had come over me." He took Firesong's hand and pulled the other man into a hearty embrace, turning to embrace Silverfox in turn. "We will speak of it again, I'm sure. I've no idea how you and Moondance managed to not tell the world."

Firesong smiled warmly at Silverfox. "It rather helps to have someone to share with who knows what questions not to ask. Now, get off with you."

Laughing, Darian went home.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a huge fan of character meetups, as you may have noticed, though it's entirely probably that this story only exists because I was annoyed that my favorite character gets left out of the Moonpaths scene in Storm Breaking, and I felt he needed to have his own chat with the Star-Eyed.  
Thanks for reading!


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